Andrew Thomas, Deakin University The first steps of the peace plan for Gaza are underway. Now both parties have agreed to terms, Hamas is obligated to release all hostages within 72 hours and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will withdraw to an agreed-upon line within the strip. Hopes are high, particularly on the
Amin Saikal, Victoria University Alarmed by an intelligence assessment that Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within months if not weeks, Israel has launched a massive air campaign aiming to destroy the country’s nuclear program. Israel’s air strikes hit Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, as well as its air
Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran, following an Israeli strike on June 13, 2025. SAN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images Javed Ali, University of Michigan Israel’s strike on Iranian nuclear and military facilities has pushed the Middle East one step closer to a far wider, more dangerous regional war. It also has implications for
Scott Lucas, University College Dublin The US president, Donald Trump, claimed on May 28 to have personally stopped Israel from attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. When asked if he’d intervened during a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump replied: “Well, I’d like to be honest. Yes, I did … I
Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University US President Donald Trump’s visit to Arab states in the Middle East this week generated plenty of multibillion-dollar deals. He said more than US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion) worth of deals had been signed with Saudi Arabia alone, though the real total is likely much lower than that. Qatar also
Scott Lucas, University College Dublin After 15 months of bitter conflict on the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire deal has been agreed which promises an end to the fighting and will allow for the access of food and other desperately needed humanitarian aid to the civilian population. Since the Israel Defense Forces launched their
Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing into civil war-torn Syria from Lebanon. Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas R. Micinski, University of Maine and Kelsey Norman, Rice University A year of conflict has ushered in a new era of mass displacement in the Middle East. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct.
Title: Jerusalem: The Biography Author: Simon Sebag Montefiore Pages: 846 In Jerusalem: The Biography, Simon Sebag Montefiore delivers a towering and masterful account of a city that, over the course of more than 3,000 years, has been a crucible of faith, violence, love, and power. Through richly detailed and dramatically narrated prose, Montefiore
byLaura Dixon and Alexa van Sicklefor Global Investigative Journalism Network• As the conflict between Israel and Hamas grinds into its second month, outlets around the world are grappling with how best to understand, visualize, and contextualize what is happening on the ground. Our roundup of the best in data journalism published between October
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a pro-Palestinian crowd in Istanbul. Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images) Ozgur Ozkan, Tufts University Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pulled his ambassador from Israel on Nov. 4, 2023. Less than a month earlier, he was offering diplomatic assistance to calm the situation in the Middle East. That