Middle Orient

“Before el-Sissi, but also during his tenure, cars, motorcycles, clothes, drugs, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and weapons were smuggled through the Philadelphi Corridor over the years, lots of weapons: improved RPG-29 rockets that killed our soldiers in the Iron Swords War, hidden rocket parts, machine guns, mines, and more.” — Nadav …

Analysis: Isaac Herzog’s visits to Albania and Serbia underscore Israel’s expanding ties with the Balkans amid global isolation due to its war on Gaza. Israeli President Isaac Herzog concluded a historic first visit to Albania last week, following a similarly significant trip to Serbia, where both countries agreed to pursue …

Analysis: The Gaza war’s expansion into the West Bank has triggered fears in Jordan that Israel is seeking the mass transfer of Palestinians into the Kingdom. Since Jordan and Israel signed their 1994 peace accord, known as the Wadi Araba Treaty, the West Bank-Jordan border has been mostly quiet. However, …

Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal in Gaza is direct reoccupation and ethnic cleansing, fulfilling the Zionist timeline and securing his future, writes Emad Moussa. After the death of six Israeli captives in Gaza, and instead of caving to the mounting internal and external pressure to allow a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Netanyahu …

Beep, beep, boom. Thousands were injured and dozens killed in Lebanon this week when beepers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in a coordinated manner on successive days. “We are opening a new phase in the war,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, though Israel has not officially acknowledged that …

Over the past eleven months, the world’s attention has been fixed on the Gaza Strip as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted military operations against Hamas. As a major war in Gaza dominates the front pages, Iran’s proxy Hezbollah continues to launch a stream of aerial attacks into northern …

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) stated that the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), in cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), carried out a joint raid in Syria targeting a group of Islamic State (IS) members. The Pentagon’s announcement came during a press briefing by the Deputy Press Secretary …

The Case for an Israeli-Palestinian Confederation In July, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the war in Gaza and the future of the Middle East. Afterward, Harris stressed her commitment to a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians—in her words, “the only …

Walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday in a second wave of attacks targeting devices a day after pagers used by Hezbollah blew up, state media and officials for the militant group said. At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 wounded in the …

Introduction It appears that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Iranian leadership are headed towards tactical dialogue with the West, with the aim of accomplishing the regime’s strategic goals. These goals include: a) improving Iran’s economy by getting the Western sanctions lifted and advancing massive investment in the Iranian …