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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: News, analysis, and background on the ongoing conflict.

A young girl is silhouetted as she stands behind the metal mesh that covered the window of a building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza. In front of her is a scene of destruction with the rubble of crumbled buildings and an excavator sifting through the piles.
A young girl is silhouetted as she stands behind the metal mesh that covered the window of a building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza. In front of her is a scene of destruction with the rubble of crumbled buildings and an excavator sifting through the piles.

What Happens to Gaza After the War?

A set of grim scenarios emerge for the enclave’s Palestinian residents.

Analysis
Amy Mackinnon

I Worked With Netanyahu. It’s Time for Him to Step Down.
Argument
Daniel C. Kurtzer

How Israel Plans to Defeat Hamas in Gaza
Analysis
Joe Buccino

Is America Really ‘Indispensable’ Again?
Analysis
Michael Hirsh

More U.S. Officials Are Anonymously Calling for a Gaza Cease-Fire
Exclusive
Amy Mackinnon, Robbie Gramer
A photo collage illustration shows Russian President Vladamir Putin walking with a shadow cast before him on a red field. In front of him is the crown of a Russian tsar and a Soviet-era statue with hammer, sickle, and star.
A photo collage illustration shows Russian President Vladamir Putin walking with a shadow cast before him on a red field. In front of him is the crown of a Russian tsar and a Soviet-era statue with hammer, sickle, and star.

The Inevitable Fall of Putin’s New Russian Empire

What history tells us about collapsed empires trying to restore their former possessions.

Analysis
Alexander J. Motyl
Rubble cleared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike in Israel-Hamas war.
Rubble cleared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike in Israel-Hamas war.

Can Our Leaders Avoid the Terrorism Trap?

For Israel and Palestine, the only way to break the cycle of violence is to understand the difference between justice and vengeance.

Argument
Yousef Munayyer

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Supporters of Hezbollah gather at Ashura Square in the southern suburbs of Beirut to listen to the speech of the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Nov. 3.
Supporters of Hezbollah gather at Ashura Square in the southern suburbs of Beirut to listen to the speech of the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Nov. 3.

Will There Be a Wider War in the Middle East?
Insider
Ravi Agrawal
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, wearing glasses, a suit jacket, and button-up shirt, is seen through a teleprompter at a news conference. Behind him is a sign with Hebrew letters in blue and red.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, wearing glasses, a suit jacket, and button-up shirt, is seen through a teleprompter at a news conference. Behind him is a sign with Hebrew letters in blue and red.

Ehud Barak: We Know We Will Lose Global Public Support
Insider
Ravi Agrawal
The silhouette of a person is seen against a safety door and grafitti in front of a shuttered business. Wood and construction fencing are seen in the foreground.
The silhouette of a person is seen against a safety door and grafitti in front of a shuttered business. Wood and construction fencing are seen in the foreground.

The U.S. Budget Deficit Has Rocketed. Does It Matter?
Insider
Adam Tooze, Cameron Abadi

Asia & the Pacific

From left to right: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gesture during the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
From left to right: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gesture during the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Dollar’s Dominance Is Shakier Than Ever
Argument
Joe Sullivan

Why Is Pakistan Expelling 1.7 Million Afghans?

The India-Canada Rift Deepens

Why AUKUS Is in Danger of Stalling

China

Two drawn posters are seen at a market in Beijing: on the right, Chinese President Xi Jinping holds an umbrella; on the left, former Chinese leader Mao Zedong is seen in profile.
Two drawn posters are seen at a market in Beijing: on the right, Chinese President Xi Jinping holds an umbrella; on the left, former Chinese leader Mao Zedong is seen in profile.

The Maoist Roots of Xi’s Economic Dilemma
Argument
Jeremy S. Friedman

China May Soon Hit Peak Coal

Mixed Messages From Beijing on the U.S.-China Relationship

Are Chinese Battery Companies the Next Huawei?

Middle East & Africa

Demonstrators, mostly women, wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags and hold posters of former Quds Force leader Qassem Suleimani during a rally in Tehran.
Demonstrators, mostly women, wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags and hold posters of former Quds Force leader Qassem Suleimani during a rally in Tehran.

Iran Can’t Afford a Regional War
Analysis
Alex Vatanka

Egyptian Dissidents Are the Collateral Damage of U.S. Support for Israel

Hamas’s Tunnel Warfare Harks Back to the Viet Cong

Will U.S. Abortion Wars End a Successful Foreign Policy in Africa?

Europe

Five Azerbaijani soldiers in uniforms with guns and helmets stand guard as a car passes through the Lachin border station, leaving Karabakh to Armenia. A road stretches in front of the car with hilly terraced terrain in the distance.
Five Azerbaijani soldiers in uniforms with guns and helmets stand guard as a car passes through the Lachin border station, leaving Karabakh to Armenia. A road stretches in front of the car with hilly terraced terrain in the distance.

Azerbaijan’s Armenian ‘Corridor’ Is a Challenge to the Global Rules-Based Order
Argument
Anna Ohanyan

The Dream of a European Security Order With Russia Is Dead

What the EU Doesn’t Get About Economic Security

The Easiest Way to Make Russia Sanctions More Effective

Americas

Demonstrators protest against a contract between Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals and the Panamanian government in Panama City, Panama, on Oct. 24.
Demonstrators protest against a contract between Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals and the Panamanian government in Panama City, Panama, on Oct. 24.

How a Copper Mine Prompted Mass Protests in Panama
Latin America Brief
Catherine Osborn

Why the Global South Is Accusing America of Hypocrisy

Why Massa Outperformed Milei in Argentina

The U.S. Can’t Lead on Quantum Computing Alone
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Current Issue: Fall 2023 Archives
The cover of Foreign Policy's fall 2023 print magazine shows a jack made up of joined hands lifting up the world. Cover text reads: The Alliances That Matter Now: Multilateralism is at a dead end, but powerful blocs are getting things done."
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism

How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.

Essay
Gordon Brown

NATO’s Remarkable Revival

But the bloc’s future could look very different from its past.

Analysis
Jo Inge Bekkevold

The G-7 Becomes a Power Player
Analysis
G. John Ikenberry

The Nimble New Minilaterals
Analysis
C. Raja Mohan

The China-Russia Axis Takes Shape
Analysis
Bonny Lin

weekend reads

A crumbling, damaged statue of a Soviet soldier in uniform is seen against the brick and metal rubble of a house of culture that was destroyed by rocket fire in Ukraine.
A crumbling, damaged statue of a Soviet soldier in uniform is seen against the brick and metal rubble of a house of culture that was destroyed by rocket fire in Ukraine.

How the European Project Fell Apart

Timothy Garton Ash’s latest book traces what went wrong—and holds some lessons for the continent’s future.

Review
Jan-Werner Müller
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is seen in a circle inside the viewfinder of a camera as he speaks during a news conference. A blurry red recording light is seen to the right.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is seen in a circle inside the viewfinder of a camera as he speaks during a news conference. A blurry red recording light is seen to the right.

The Rise of the New Spycraft Regimes
Argument
David V. Gioe
A worker wearing a hard hat and orange reflective shirt and holding a walkie talkie stands in front of a massive cargo ship docked under cranes as it's loaded at a port in Qingdao, China. Another ship floats on the water in the distance. Both are loaded with cargo containers.
A worker wearing a hard hat and orange reflective shirt and holding a walkie talkie stands in front of a massive cargo ship docked under cranes as it's loaded at a port in Qingdao, China. Another ship floats on the water in the distance. Both are loaded with cargo containers.

A Grand Plan for a Much Poorer World
Review
Bob Davis
A woman rides a bicycle in the historic center of Ferrara, Italy.
A woman rides a bicycle in the historic center of Ferrara, Italy.

Europe’s Coming Reckoning on Immigration
Argument
Howard W. French

Subscribers’ Picks

Blinken stands near a black SUV among U.S. and Saudi security personnel. A Saudi flag can be seen in the background.
Blinken stands near a black SUV among U.S. and Saudi security personnel. A Saudi flag can be seen in the background.

Saudi Arabia Is Mysteriously Absent in the Israel-Hamas War

Mohammed bin Salman has pitched the kingdom as the most influential country in the Middle East, yet he has dropped the ball on actual diplomacy.

Analysis
Steven A. Cook
Palestine-israel-conflict-history-books-foreign-policy-homepage
Palestine-israel-conflict-history-books-foreign-policy-homepage

The Best Books for Understanding the Israel-Hamas War

Ten reads that offer insight into the origins of today’s conflict—and what may come next.

Review
FP Staff, FP Contributors
President Joe Biden addresses the United States on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.
President Joe Biden addresses the United States on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.

How Many Wars Can America Fight at the Same Time?

The country’s adversaries around the world may sense Washington is stretched too thin.

It's Debatable
Emma Ashford, Matthew Kroenig
Family members of Valentin (Eli) Ghnassia, 23, who was killed by Hamas militants at Kibbutz Be’eri near the Israel-Gaza border, react during his funeral.
Family members of Valentin (Eli) Ghnassia, 23, who was killed by Hamas militants at Kibbutz Be’eri near the Israel-Gaza border, react during his funeral.

‘We Will Never Forgive Netanyahu for What He Did to Us’

Israeli journalist and Hamas attack survivor Amir Tibon on how his community is coping.

Q&A
Tal Alroy

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GettyImages-1724063904 (1)

Israel-Hamas War: The Regional Ripple Effects

Will a broader regional war break out? FP's Ravi Agrawal spoke with two experts on the Middle East: Steven Cook, a columnist at FP, and Kim Ghattas, a... READ MORE

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Ehud Barak on the Israel-Hamas War
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David Petraeus on a World at War
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How a Dysfunctional Congress Is Impacting U.S. Foreign Policy

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Kim Yo Jong
Kim Yo Jong

Kim Yo Jong Is the World’s Most Dangerous Woman

A new book profiles the possible future leader of North Korea.

Review
Anthony Ruggiero
The cover of Forgiving Imelda Marcos by Nathan Go.
The cover of Forgiving Imelda Marcos by Nathan Go.

The Fabulous Mythmaking of Imelda Marcos
Review
Sheila S. Coronel
Book covers of Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany by Katja Hoyer and After the Nazis: The Story of Culture in West Germany by Michael H. Kater
Book covers of Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany by Katja Hoyer and After the Nazis: The Story of Culture in West Germany by Michael H. Kater

A Tale of Two Germanies
Review
Allison Meakem
Book cover of Against the World: Anti-Globalism and Mass Politics Between the World Wars by Tara Zahra
Book cover of Against the World: Anti-Globalism and Mass Politics Between the World Wars by Tara Zahra

The Great Turn Inward
Review
Jan-Werner Müller
The book cover of The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline by Yasheng Huang.
The book cover of The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline by Yasheng Huang.

How to Get Chinese Elites to Support Democracy
Excerpt
Yasheng Huang
The cover of the book Cooperating for the Climate by Joanna I. Lewis.
The cover of the book Cooperating for the Climate by Joanna I. Lewis.

Can the U.S. and China Cooperate on Green Technology Again?
Review
Lili Pike
War on the Ballot: How the Election Cycle Shapes Presidential Decision-Making in War, Andrew Payne, Columbia University Press, 336 pp., $35, July 2023
War on the Ballot: How the Election Cycle Shapes Presidential Decision-Making in War, Andrew Payne, Columbia University Press, 336 pp., $35, July 2023

Why U.S. Presidents Really Go to War
Review
Julian E. Zelizer

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visual stories

Rafet Kurse, a former fisherman, stands next to an abandoned boat on the former shores of Marmara Lake. A dry, dusty landscape stretches into the distance behind him.
Rafet Kurse, a former fisherman, stands next to an abandoned boat on the former shores of Marmara Lake. A dry, dusty landscape stretches into the distance behind him.

King of the Dammed

Turkish President Erdogan’s mega-infrastructure projects are enriching construction companies while reshaping his country’s waterscape for the worse.

Hannah Lucinda Smith
A photo collage illustration shows U.S. political figures plotted on a foreign-policy spectrum from most assertive to least. From left: Dick Cheney, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, George H.W. Bush, Ron Desantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Bernie Sanders.
A photo collage illustration shows U.S. political figures plotted on a foreign-policy spectrum from most assertive to least. From left: Dick Cheney, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, George H.W. Bush, Ron Desantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Bernie Sanders.

The Scrambled Spectrum of U.S. Foreign-Policy Thinking

Presidents, officials, and candidates tend to fall into six camps that don’t follow party lines.

Ash Jain

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