Middle East Crisis

News, analysis, and background on the Israel-Hamas war and regional conflict between Israel and Iran and its proxies.

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a dinner in the White House in Washington, DC on July 7.
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a dinner in the White House in Washington, DC on July 7.

Only Trump Can Save Israel from Its Own Government

Netanyahu’s plan to seize Gaza is a catastrophe for all. This article has an audio recording

Samuel Zbogar, the head of the Slovenian mission to the United Nations Security Council, speaks to the press alongside other U.N. representatives ahead of a Security Council emergency meeting on Gaza at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Aug. 10.
Samuel Zbogar, the head of the Slovenian mission to the United Nations Security Council, speaks to the press alongside other U.N. representatives ahead of a Security Council emergency meeting on Gaza at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Aug. 10.

What Was the Tipping Point on Gaza?

After almost two years of war, Israel is feeling the growing weight of governmental opprobrium.

Smoke rises over several buildings.
Smoke rises over several buildings.

The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming

Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.

Israel-Hamas War

Palestinians children push to receive a hot meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22.
Palestinians children push to receive a hot meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22.

Could Images of the Famine in Gaza Change Israeli Public Opinion?

A newscast showing starving children prompted sympathy—and criticism.

A heavily damaged building can be seen with a Syria flag nearby.
A heavily damaged building can be seen with a Syria flag nearby.
Biden walks between massive white columns outside of the White House. He wears a dark suit and a blue tie, and his head is tilted down toward the ground.
Biden walks between massive white columns outside of the White House. He wears a dark suit and a blue tie, and his head is tilted down toward the ground.
Four people stand while holding a banner that reads Gaza: Action Not Words. On the banner the names of thousands of children who have died as a result of the war.
Four people stand while holding a banner that reads Gaza: Action Not Words. On the banner the names of thousands of children who have died as a result of the war.

Why Recognizing Palestine Is Meaningless or Even Harmful

Recent announcements by France, Britain, and Canada are mostly performative.

Iran-Israel Tensions

A U.S. B-2 "Spirit" stealth bomber flies over Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1.
A U.S. B-2 "Spirit" stealth bomber flies over Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1.
Participants place radiation signs during a simulated nuclear emergency drill in Tehran on November 5, 2015.
Participants place radiation signs during a simulated nuclear emergency drill in Tehran on November 5, 2015.

Iran’s Collapse Could Cause a Nuclear Security Nightmare

Washington would struggle to secure dangerous materials, technologies, and expertise.

The late Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaks during a memorial service beneath portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, at the Grand Mosque in Tehran on Feb. 23.
The late Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaks during a memorial service beneath portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, at the Grand Mosque in Tehran on Feb. 23.

Iran Is Islamism’s Last Lifeline in the Middle East

Without support from a weakened Tehran, the region’s extremist movements would wither.

A man rides a horse next to the remains of an Iranian missile near the Israeli settlement of Tekoa in the occupied West Bank, on June 29.
A man rides a horse next to the remains of an Iranian missile near the Israeli settlement of Tekoa in the occupied West Bank, on June 29.

Iran and the Logic of Limited Wars

No one wants a long war, and doing nothing was no longer an option.

Israel and Hezbollah

Mourners surround the flag-draped coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in the recent war with Israel, during a funeral procession in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm on Dec. 6.
Mourners surround the flag-draped coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in the recent war with Israel, during a funeral procession in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm on Dec. 6.

Hezbollah Is Trying to Spin Loss as Victory

Assad’s fall and Israel’s offensive give Lebanese a chance to reclaim their country.

A man in a vest holds a cable attached to a spool on the ground. Behind him are shrubs and a blue sky.
A man in a vest holds a cable attached to a spool on the ground. Behind him are shrubs and a blue sky.

Lebanon’s Demining Mission Faces Aid Uncertainty

Cuts to foreign assistance and a fragile cease-fire have made the urgent work more dangerous.

A Lebanese Army soldier stands guard in the southern Lebanese town of Naqura after Israel's withdrawal from the area, on Jan. 7.
A Lebanese Army soldier stands guard in the southern Lebanese town of Naqura after Israel's withdrawal from the area, on Jan. 7.

Surprisingly, the Lebanon-Israel Cease-Fire Is Holding

Notwithstanding continued exchanges, the agreement is functioning and appears durable.

Lebanese celebrate the nomination of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Beirut, on Jan. 13.
Lebanese celebrate the nomination of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Beirut, on Jan. 13.

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.

Global Reactions

Flags of the United Arab Emirates and Israel are displayed.
Flags of the United Arab Emirates and Israel are displayed.

Can a ‘New’ Middle East Survive the ‘Old’?

To achieve regional progress, Arab leaders need to rethink the importance of resolving the Palestine question once and for all.

Houthi troops holding weapons stand in front of buildings during an anti-Israel, anti-U.S. rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 19.
Houthi troops holding weapons stand in front of buildings during an anti-Israel, anti-U.S. rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 19.

The Middle East’s Next Aftershocks

The Trump administration will find it hard to disengage from a region still being reshaped by the effects of Oct. 7.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian shakes hands with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, in Tehran.
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian shakes hands with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, in Tehran.

Can the Gulf’s Iran Policy Survive the War?

Israel and the Gulf have rival visions for Iran’s role in the region. Now Washington has to pick one.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Pres. Bill Clinton (C) w. (L-R) Mideast peaceniks King Hussein, PM Rabin, PLO chmn. Arafat & Pres. Mubarak in WH Rose Garden for Israeli-Palestinian accord signing.    (Photo by Dirck Halstead/Getty Images)
Pres. Bill Clinton (C) w. (L-R) Mideast peaceniks King Hussein, PM Rabin, PLO chmn. Arafat & Pres. Mubarak in WH Rose Garden for Israeli-Palestinian accord signing. (Photo by Dirck Halstead/Getty Images)

Why the Oslo Peace Process Failed

And what it means for future negotiators.

Hussein al-Sheikh attends the funeral of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Hussein al-Sheikh attends the funeral of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

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? This article has an audio recording

A Palestinian is seen from behind as they look outside through a large broken window. Some shards of fractured glass remain in the frame, but the rest of the opening reveals dark smoke billowing from a dense street of buildings in Gaza City. The sky is otherwise light but hazy.
A Palestinian is seen from behind as they look outside through a large broken window. Some shards of fractured glass remain in the frame, but the rest of the opening reveals dark smoke billowing from a dense street of buildings in Gaza City. The sky is otherwise light but hazy.
A Palestinian man carries his child to cross a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2003. Rubble fills the land he walks across and barbed wire coils in front of him. A woman with a head covering follows behind them.
A Palestinian man carries his child to cross a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2003. Rubble fills the land he walks across and barbed wire coils in front of him. A woman with a head covering follows behind them.

All the Palestinians Got From Oslo Was KFC

Thirty years of the peace process has left us with less land and fewer rights.

Latest Stories

Israeli army soldiers patrol around a position along Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 13.
Israeli army soldiers patrol around a position along Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 13.

Who’s in Charge of the IDF?

Evidence is growing of a command and control problem.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks in New York.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks in New York.

Ehud Olmert on Israel’s Two-Front War and the Fall of Netanyahu

The former Israeli prime minister calls for a cease-fire in Gaza and the creation of a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.

The Man Leading Israel’s Not-So-Quiet Annexation of the West Bank

Bezalel Smotrich aims to bankrupt the Palestinian Authority and cement Israeli rule.

An Israeli soldier wearing a green combat uniform uses a flashlight to examine a framed photograph of three women as he checks personal belongings in a house that was hit by a Hezbollah rocket. Behind him, a presumably broken window is boarded up with a slab of plywood.
An Israeli soldier wearing a green combat uniform uses a flashlight to examine a framed photograph of three women as he checks personal belongings in a house that was hit by a Hezbollah rocket. Behind him, a presumably broken window is boarded up with a slab of plywood.

What a War Between Israel and Hezbollah Might Look Like

The Lebanese armed group is trained and equipped much better than Hamas.

U.S. President Joe Biden reaches his arm out a table to shake hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both men wear dark suits and ties, and the Israeli and American flags hang in front of a blue curtain beyond the two leaders.
U.S. President Joe Biden reaches his arm out a table to shake hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both men wear dark suits and ties, and the Israeli and American flags hang in front of a blue curtain beyond the two leaders.

Why Biden’s Gaza Gambit Is Likely to Fail

The U.S. president wants a truce more than Israel and Hamas do.

A woman wearing a short sleeve shirt stands in a doorway inside a house. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls behind her and writing and spray paint is on a wall.
A woman wearing a short sleeve shirt stands in a doorway inside a house. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls behind her and writing and spray paint is on a wall.

Inside Israel, the Gaza War Looks Very Different

Mired in the trauma of Oct. 7, many see the war as one of existential necessity.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen from the side as he stands at a podium at the White House as he delivers remarks. Biden is a man in his 80s wearing a black suit and tie. An electric light shaped like a candelabra is visible on the sculpted wall behind him.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen from the side as he stands at a podium at the White House as he delivers remarks. Biden is a man in his 80s wearing a black suit and tie. An electric light shaped like a candelabra is visible on the sculpted wall behind him.

Biden Outlines Israeli Proposal For Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out another major attack against Israel, the U.S. president said.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a pro-Palestinian “Nakba 76” rally in Washington, D.C.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a pro-Palestinian “Nakba 76” rally in Washington, D.C.

Why the U.S. Should Recognize Palestinian Statehood

Sovereignty would serve America’s interests—and Israel’s.

The top of a protester's head is seen slightly out of focus as they hold up a picket sign that reads “Boycott Israel” during a demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark. The text is stamped in black block letters on the sign, which is made from bright orange fabric.
The top of a protester's head is seen slightly out of focus as they hold up a picket sign that reads “Boycott Israel” during a demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark. The text is stamped in black block letters on the sign, which is made from bright orange fabric.
The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, a bald man in a gray suit and red tie, speaks at a podium during a press conference in Bogota. A blue ICC flag hangs behind him in front of a wood-paneled wall.
The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, a bald man in a gray suit and red tie, speaks at a podium during a press conference in Bogota. A blue ICC flag hangs behind him in front of a wood-paneled wall.

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas Leaders

The announcement ramps up pressure on Israel and puts the United States in a new bind.

A pro-Palestinian protester waves a Palestinian flag on the National Mall in Washington on Oct. 21, 2023, during a demonstration calling for an Israeli cease-fire in Gaza.
A pro-Palestinian protester waves a Palestinian flag on the National Mall in Washington on Oct. 21, 2023, during a demonstration calling for an Israeli cease-fire in Gaza.

Rift or Rupture?

What the war in Gaza is doing to U.S.-Israeli relations.

Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa, who was killed in an air strike while working in Khan Younis, Gaza.
Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa, who was killed in an air strike while working in Khan Younis, Gaza.

After Al Jazeera, Will Israel Target Its Own Media?

Rights groups worry the closing of the Qatari network is just the beginning.

U.S. and Israeli rabbis and rabbinical students, joined by peace activists, march toward the Erez crossing on the border with northern Gaza Strip to call for a permanent cease-fire on April 26.
U.S. and Israeli rabbis and rabbinical students, joined by peace activists, march toward the Erez crossing on the border with northern Gaza Strip to call for a permanent cease-fire on April 26.

A Middle East Security Pact Won’t Free Palestine

The Biden administration needs to recognize that the problems lie with Israeli politics.

U.S. President Joe Biden sits with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023.
U.S. President Joe Biden sits with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023.

Biden Draws a Red(Ish) Line on Israel

The U.S. president pauses some military aid as tensions with Israel mount.

Israeli forces patrol a deserted road in Tulkarem during a raid on the occupied West Bank city.
Israeli forces patrol a deserted road in Tulkarem during a raid on the occupied West Bank city.

What to Expect from Israel’s Rafah Offensive

Israeli troops would face a battle-hardened enemy while trying to get tens of thousands of civilians out of the way.

A Palestinian man sits on a piece of rubble beneath a blue sky with his head cradled in his hand as he waits for news about his missing daughter. In the background, rescue workers climb a stack of debris from a collapsed building as they search for survivors.
A Palestinian man sits on a piece of rubble beneath a blue sky with his head cradled in his hand as he waits for news about his missing daughter. In the background, rescue workers climb a stack of debris from a collapsed building as they search for survivors.

When AI Decides Who Lives and Dies

The Israeli military’s algorithmic targeting has created dangerous new precedents.

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