Middle Orient

The deal to release the abductees: On the evening of November 26, the third group ofabductees held by Hamas was released. It included 13 Israeli women and children, three Thaicitizens and an Israeli with dual Israeli-Russian citizenship. In return, 39 Palestinian prisonerswere released. International officials, as well as Hamas and …

Ever wondered why the Islamic world appears divided on the issue of Palestine? To unravel this intricate dilemma, I’ve integrated three levels of foreign policy analysis with the constructivist perspective of international relations. The three levels involve examining internal factors such as political structures, leadership dynamics, and public sentiment, providing …

In the early morning of Saturday, October 7, a series of coordinated attacks on Israel by the radical Palestinian movement Hamas followed. The “Al-Aqsa Storm” began with the firing of about 3,000 rockets and the infantry-mechanized incursion of militants into the territory of southern Israel. The Israeli security services completely …

Arab states and the EU agreed on Monday (27 November) that a two-state solution should be the answer to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell saying the Palestinian Authority should rule Gaza after the war. Over the past years, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), founded 15 …

The Syrian Observer sits with Bassam al-Kuwatli, one of the co-founders of Ahrar, a liberal political party. The Syrian opposition’s story after the revolution was a story of coalitions. A countless number of coalitions have been formed. No one claimed that they own a platform that leads them in the …

Clashes in Eastern Syria curiously coincided with the claims of an impending American military operation Iyad al-Jaafari writes in Syria TV. The Iranian response to the ongoing protests in As-Suweida, which could potentially spread across Syria, stands in contrast to their actions during the early stages of the 2011 revolution. …

From his military coup in 1970 until his death in 2000, Hafez al-Assad failed to appreciate Syria’s diverse regions, according to Bassam Youssef for Syria TV. Deir-ez-Zor has endured significant suffering under the rule of the Baath regime, particularly during the Assad family’s leadership. Apart from intentional marginalization, impoverishment, and …

It is evident that the Iranian axis is not willing to sacrifice the Syrian regime to protect the Hamas movement, according to Ibrahim Rayhan in Syria TV. Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon were featured prominently in Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah’s speech last Friday, but the Syrian regime was notably absent. …

The Syrian Islamic Council announced the re-election of Sheikh Osama al-Rifai for a new term. On Monday evening, the Syrian Islamic Council announced the re-election of Sheikh Osama al-Rifai for a new term. The Council’s statement highlighted, “The General Assembly, convened at the conclusion of its sessions, elected 21 members …

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel killing at least 1,200 people and kidnapping at least 240 men, women, and children. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders watched …