America needs to stop being naive in Gaza
News reports from Israel and Gaza indicate that Israel and the United States have started to take steps toward the “New Gaza” plan. The idea behind the plan is flawed from the get-go and should be...
Arabs
Israel’s Beit Jinn raid highlights potential Hamas-linked networks in southern Syria
On November 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an operation in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn. According to the IDF, “troops conducted an operation to apprehend suspects from...
Op-eds
Palestinian Islamic Jihad reportedly rebuilding its presence in Syria
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on November 26 that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Gaza-based terrorist group, has been “increasingly strengthening its military wing in Syria...
Op-eds
Unsolved Murder of Bedouin Couple Fans Sectarian Flames in Syria
Syria seems to be inching back towards fracturing. On November 23, unknown individuals killed a husband and wife from a Sunni Arab Bedouin tribe in Homs Province. Authorities found slogans written at the...
Policy Briefs
Beit Hanoun’s Lesson for Achieving Victory in Gaza
Israel rightly framed the October 10 ceasefire and hostage release as a strategic victory over Hamas. The Palestinian terrorist organization may have secured only a temporary reprieve before...
Policy Briefs
Hamas is failing Trump’s cease-fire plan — and ‘the future’ of the Middle East is paying the price
EZZAT al-Reshq, a spokesman for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, denied reports Saturday that his group was walking away from the Gaza cease-fire brokered by President Trump. Al-Reshq’s...
Op-eds
Reconstructing Gaza: The devil is in the detail
The world is on the cusp of making the same mistake with Hamas that it did with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. Still, there is progress to be made if the involved parties pay attention.
Op-eds
Clashes erupt between Syrian government troops and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
On November 19, the government-controlled Syrian army and the predominantly Kurdish, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battled in the area of Maadan, east of Raqqa. According to Syrian...
Op-eds
Trump’s Gaza peace plan is doomed — unless he shuts down terror-boosting UNRWA
When the UN Security Council approved President Donald Trump’s plan to establish a board of peace overseeing Gaza’s transformation from Hamas terror base to calm Palestinian enclave, it was...
Op-eds
Will Al-Sharaa Meet the American Moment?
The Syrian president’s visit to the White House will be significant only if he can stabilize his country from within.
Op-eds
Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria
The question for Damascus is what comes next, with Sharaa showing that he is ready for the global prime time. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic...
Op-eds
US pushes for UN resolution on Gaza to support peace plan
The US is seeking a United Nations Security Council resolution on Gaza “aimed at bolstering President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, including by greenlighting an international security force,”...
Op-eds
Hamas Official Floats Discussions for Decommissioning Group’s Long-Range Weapons
Hamas Official Says Partial Disarmament ‘Reasonable To Discuss’: Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk claimed on November 5 that the group may be willing to negotiate partial disarmament....
Flash Briefs
United States reportedly eyes military foothold in Damascus, Syrian official denies the claim
On November 6, Reuters reported that “The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an air base in Damascus to help enable a security pact that Washington is brokering...
Op-eds
RSF seizes El Fasher, forcing Sudanese Armed Forces withdrawal
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has captured El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State, forcing a complete withdrawal of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). On October 26, RSF personnel stormed the...
Op-eds
Hamas Chooses Half of Technocrats in New Gaza Governing Body
“We will hand over the rule in Gaza to the Administrative Committee,” said Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas’ negotiating team, on October 26. The statement came on the heels of a meeting between...
Policy Briefs
The Palestinians Must Apologize to the Lebanese
A Palestinian apology could pave the way for reconciliation by confronting the historical injustices inflicted on Lebanon. On October 26, Palestinian gunmen manning a checkpoint at Beirut’s Shatila...
Op-eds
Jordan’s King Abdullah II Says No Country Will Volunteer to ‘Enforce’ Gaza Ceasefire
‘Peacekeeping’ and ‘Peace Enforcement’: Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that it would be difficult for the United States to persuade countries to join the proposed International...
Flash Briefs
Turkey’s Gulf Tour and Erdogan’s Gaza Ambitions are Dangerous
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues his campaign to expand Turkey’s influence across the Middle East. Last week, he wrapped up a rapid tour of Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, aiming to secure...