Middle East Crisis
News, analysis, and background on the Israel-Hamas war and regional conflict between Israel and Iran and its proxies.
As the War in Gaza Winds Down, the West Bank Is a Flash Point
If Trump wants peace, he must block Israel’s annexationist policies.
Trump’s Foreign Policy Is Not as Successful as You Think
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the Gaza deal proves Trump’s diplomatic chops.
One Question Looming Over the Gaza Deal: Why Now?
An outline of the agreement had been on the table for months.
Doctor in Gaza Says Cease-Fire Brings Hope but Challenges Remain
An MSF doctor talks about the dire needs in Gaza as the cease-fire begins.
Israel-Hamas War
What We Can Learn From Trump’s Success in Gaza
In diplomacy, style now matters just as much as substance.
Two Ways Oct. 7 Changed Israel and One Way It Didn’t
The impact will be felt for years, even if Trump’s peace plan succeeds.
Can Palestinians Trust Donald Trump?
Only U.S. pressure will ensure that Israel honors the Gaza cease-fire.
Two Years After Oct. 7, a Trail of What-Ifs
Decisions made early on set the path for a devastating war.
Iran-Israel Tensions
There’s More Than One Way to Build a Bomb
Iran doesn’t need to rebuild its damaged facilities to sprint for a nuclear weapon.
Iran’s Collapse Could Cause a Nuclear Security Nightmare
Washington would struggle to secure dangerous materials, technologies, and expertise.
Iran Is Islamism’s Last Lifeline in the Middle East
Without support from a weakened Tehran, the region’s extremist movements would wither.
The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming
Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.
Israel and Hezbollah
Hezbollah Is Weak Enough for Lebanon to Finally Disarm It
The government and army are taking back their own country.
Lebanon’s Demining Mission Faces Aid Uncertainty
Cuts to foreign assistance and a fragile cease-fire have made the urgent work more dangerous.
Lebanon’s Success Depends on Sidelining Hezbollah
The new government in Beirut is the country’s best chance for reform in years—but support from Washington and Riyadh will be crucial.
Hezbollah Is Trying to Spin Loss as Victory
Assad’s fall and Israel’s offensive give Lebanese a chance to reclaim their country.
Regional Dynamics
America’s Accidental New Military Ally
The Trump administration has made an unprecedentedly sloppy security guarantee to Qatar.
Ankara’s New Syrian Headache
Toppling Assad didn’t solve Turkey’s problems—it made them worse.
How Israel’s Strikes on the Houthis Will Change Yemen
For years, the group has relied on the perception that it is untouchable.
Buying the Hatchet
How arms deals are helping Sharaa to make up with Moscow.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Why the Oslo Peace Process Failed
And what it means for future negotiators.
The Palestinian Leader Who Survived the Death of Palestine
What would it mean for Hussein al-Sheikh to lead a people whose dream of independence is no longer alive?
How Will This War End? How Can the Next One be Prevented?
FP asks experts two questions about the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.
How Washington’s Israel-Palestine Peace Process Theology Failed Again and Again
Trump’s plan is just the latest example.
Latest Stories
Hamas’s Political Leaders Aren’t in Charge
The group’s leadership in exile has taken a back seat to its officials in Gaza.
What’s Stopping Egypt From Stepping Up in Gaza?
Internal dynamics restrict Cairo’s options for involvement in a post-Hamas Gaza.
How Netanyahu Plans to Hold on to Power
The Hamas attack demolished his political standing, but Bibi has a survival strategy.
Israel’s Hostage Deal Means Truce, Not Cease-Fire
Pressure may increase at home and abroad, but Israel has no interest in stopping its war on Hamas.
What Was Hamas Thinking?
The Oct. 7 attack was the culmination of a strategic shift to challenge the movement’s containment.
Why Al Qaeda’s Letter Went Viral on TikTok
Some Gen Z users did sympathize with cherry-picked parts of the letter, but the media also amplified what had been a minor blip.
The Future of Hamas Passes Through Tehran
Clarity about Gaza’s postwar rule requires addressing the role of Iran.
Russia Is the Loser in the Israel-Hamas War
Moscow’s decade as the arbiter of the Middle East is coming to an end.
Where Is the West’s Moral Courage on Israel?
Eliminating Hamas doesn’t justify the destruction Israel is inflicting on Gaza.
Macron Breaks Ranks With the West on Israel-Hamas War
Amid deepening internal rifts, France is trying again to punch above its weight on the world stage.
Mahmoud Abbas’s Last Chance Has Finally Arrived
The Palestinian Authority president may be postwar Gaza's only option—if he’s not too unpopular for the job.
Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now
In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.
The Middle East Has Locked Itself in a Slaughterhouse
The region is suffering from a precipitously brutal coarsening of its politics.
This War Won’t Solve the Israel-Palestine Conflict
After all the death and destruction, the situation will be no closer to a resolution than it was before Oct. 7.
Iran’s Proxies in Syria Move Toward Escalation With Israel
As Israel advances in Gaza, the intensity of the response by Tehran’s so-called axis of resistance will increase.
Israelis Struggle to Imagine a Possible Peace
A wounded activist movement tries to come to terms with war.