Middle Orient

As demolition of damaged buildings continues, new construction is set to begin, with aim of resettling evacuees and absorbing dozens of new families – especially those with babies KISSUFIM — Looking to build a brighter future, Kibbutz Kissufim, near the Gaza border, is planning to double its population and already …

If the agreement collapses, violence may be imminent. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have spent months negotiating with the government in Damascus how to implement their March agreement for the SDF to merge with the national armed forces. Mistrust of government centralization and recent sectarian massacres have shaken the …

The commander of the Israeli Air Force, Lieutenant General Tomer Bar, has unveiled a strategic plan codenamed “Bashan Arrow”, which aimed to destroy what remained of the strategic military capabilities of the Syrian regime’s army just hours after its collapse and the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December …

The calm in southern Syria has broken, exposing a volatile front that none of the major players – Damascus, Tel Aviv, or Washington – seems prepared for what is to come. At 2:52 am on 28 November, a reserve unit from the Israeli army’s 55th Paratroopers Brigade, under the command …

As international eyes stay locked on Gaza, Tel Aviv is executing its most aggressive campaign of ethnic cleansing and land theft in the occupied West Bank since 1948. On the morning of 7 October 2023, while the world braced for the fallout of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, another front of war …

Since Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza in October under a cease-fire agreement, Hamas has moved quickly to fill the void. Its police forces are out on the streets again. Its fighters have executed opponents. And its officials have levied fees on some costly goods being imported into Gaza, …

From the moment the Assad regime fell on 8 December 2024, Israeli intervention in Syria took an upward trajectory, in multiple forms, including air and ground strikes, house searches, checkpoints and arrests, land bulldozing, and the construction of gates and barriers. Israel has also used certain methods to win over …

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a statement condemning chants shouted by some members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, which it said contained “threats and incitement” against it, during gatherings held on Liberation Day on Monday, 8 December. Social media users circulated a video showing a commander in the …

Hostage point man said to demand action for return of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili’s remains; Muslim-majority countries worried Israel aims to transfer Gazans to Egypt with opening of Rafah crossing Israel has told mediators that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad know how to reach the remains of Master Sgt. Ran …

Bottom Line Up Front Israel’s policy in Syria relies on hard power and control over territory rather than building an interrelated web of diplomatic alliances and coalitions to protect its interests. Israeli leaders are expanding a buffer zone in southern Syria even though U.S. officials warn that doing so might …