Feb 06 Who is part of Iran's regional armed network and what are their aims? By Kali Robinson, Will Merrow, Council on Foreign Relations Fighters from Shiite Muslim-majority countries such as Iraq and Lebanon compose Iran’s main proxies, but groups in Sunni-majority Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Yemen have also formed associations with Iran. Continue reading
Feb 06 Blinken meets with Egyptian mediators to push for cease-fire in Gaza By Matthew Lee, Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, Associated Press Egypt fears an expansion of combat to the Rafah area could push terrified Palestinian civilians across the border, a scenario Egypt has said it is determined to prevent. Continue reading
Feb 05 Obstacles loom as Blinken returns to Middle East to negotiate plans for Gaza By Matthew Lee, Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, Associated Press Blinken hopes to press ahead with a potential cease-fire deal and postwar planning while tamping down regional tensions. But on on all three fronts he faces major challenges. Continue reading
Feb 03 Hamas shows signs of return in Gaza City after Israel withdraws most of its troops from area By Najib Jobain, Samy Magdy, Associated Press Hamas has begun to resurface in areas where Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces a month ago, deploying police officers and making salary payments to some of its civil servants in Gaza City in recent days, four residents and a senior… Continue reading
Jan 30 Israeli undercover forces disguised as women and medics kill three Palestinians in West Bank hospital By Aref Tufaha, Melanie Lidman, Wafaa Shurafa, Associated Press Israel has come under heavy criticism for its raids on hospitals in Gaza, which have treated the tens of thousands of Palestinians wounded in the war as well as providing critical shelter for displaced people. Continue reading
Jan 28 U.S. sees signs of progress on new hostage deal that would bring 2-month pause to Israel-Hamas war By Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, Associated Press According to two senior administration officials, U.S. negotiators are making progress on a potential agreement under which Israel would pause military operations against Hamas in Gaza for two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages who… Continue reading
Jan 26 Stopping short of ordering cease-fire, top UN court orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza By Mike Corder, Raf Casert, Associated Press The United Nations’ top court has ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in its military offensive in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a cease-fire. Continue reading
Jan 24 UN court ruling on South Africa's request for order halting Israel's Gaza offensive expected Friday By Mike Corder, Associated Press The decision is a preliminary stage of a case filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel’s military action in its war with Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel strongly rejects the accusation and… Continue reading
Jan 24 Heavy fighting in Khan Younis leaves hundreds of patients stranded in southern Gaza hospital By Najib Jobain, Melanie Lidman, Associated Press Israel has ordered residents to leave a swath of downtown Khan Younis that includes Nasser Hospital and two smaller medical facilities as it pushes ahead with its 3-month-old offensive against Hamas. Continue reading
Jan 22 EU foreign ministers call for Palestinian statehood despite Israeli opposition By Lorne Cook, Associated Press They expressed concern about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear rejection of the idea. Continue reading