Middle Orient

Hamas and Israeli-backed militias: A looming showdown in Gaza

Recent threats from Hamas’s armed wing against Israeli-backed militias in Gaza have heightened concerns that tensions will escalate into open confrontation Recent threats by Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, against Israeli-backed militias operating in Gaza have raised fears about the possibility of an impending armed confrontation. A complex network …

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Gaza’s Nascent Police Force Has a Personnel Problem

The second convening of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington on February 19 was intended to highlight progress toward a post-war vision for Gaza. The event featured detailed presentations on reconstruction, governance mechanisms, and timelines. Yet two core issues remained conspicuously vague: how Hamas will be disarmed, and …

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Saudi Arabia has not pivoted back toward extremism

The kingdom is still on its long, self-interested road to moderation, and the ‘embrace of Islamism’ narrative collapses under the facts Has Saudi Arabia truly abandoned moderation and embraced Islamism – or even antisemitism – as some have recently alleged? The short answer is no, and the reality defies the …

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Middle East Overview: February 2026

Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, deadly state repression across Iran halts protests, and violence escalated between state forces and the SDF in northern Syria. Gaza: Violence escalates amid the US launch of phase 2 of the Gaza peace plan Violence intensified in Gaza in January, with the …

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