Analysis: Concerns are growing that ongoing tensions could impact the South Caucasus, where Iran’s neighbour Azerbaijan is a key ally of Israel. As Iran delays its retaliation to Israel’s assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, concerns are growing that the escalating tensions could extend beyond the Middle East and into …
Read More »Classic Layout
Iraq and Turkey’s security pact sparks fears of Ankara’s growing ambitions
Analysis: The recent security pact between Iraq and Turkey has raised fears about Ankara’s intentions and increased military influence in northern Iraq. A recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Turkey and Iraq has reignited debates over Ankara’s future role in northern Iraq. The agreement, focused on military, security, and …
Read More »Why Turkey is accelerating towards normalisation with Syria
Analysis: Turkey’s motivations for mending ties are driven by security concerns, domestic pressure over refugees, and wider geopolitics. Talk about Turkish-Syrian normalisation did not start recently. Since Ankara long ago abandoned its regime change agenda in Damascus and began focusing intensely on fighting the US-backed People’s Defence Units (YPG) in …
Read More »The Nazification of anti-Zionism
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Aug. 28, Yonathan Arfi, the head of the French Jewish umbrella body Crif, complained that most of his fellow citizens have an understanding of antisemitism that is rooted in the memory of the Second World War. The indelible association of Nazism with …
Read More »Will Hamas be in power once Israel’s war on Gaza ends?
In-depth: Israel has failed in its objective of destroying Hamas, with the group likely to retain influence in post-war Gaza but not be its sole ruler. After ten months of a devastating Israeli war, Palestinians are increasingly aware that Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the war-torn coastal enclave, will …
Read More »Israel Eliminates Hamas Commander in Jenin
Latest Developments On the third day of an extensive military operation in the West Bank, Israel Border Police eliminated local Hamas commander Wessam Khazem in the city of Jenin on August 30. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Border Police forces, acting on Shin Bet intelligence agency information, located Hazem …
Read More »Israeli forces kill local Hamas commander in West Bank
Israeli forces killed a local commander of the Islamist movement Hamas in the flashpoint city of Jenin on Friday as they pressed a major operation in the occupied West Bank for a third day, the Israeli military said.The military said Border Police forces had killed Wassem Hazem, who it said …
Read More »After Wagner: Non-State Groups Fighting in Ukraine
Although the Wagner Group’s presence in Ukraine may have ended, a range of other non-state actors have stepped up to take its place, many of which display extreme right-wing beliefs. With the Wagner Group ceasing to exist last year after the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, it may seem …
Read More »Iran Update, August 29, 2024
US and international health officials confirmed on August 29 that Israel has agreed to implement a temporary humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip to vaccinate children against polio.[1] The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office emphasized that the pause is not related to the longer-term ceasefire proposal currently under discussion in Doha.[2] …
Read More »Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (August 19-26 , 2024)
On August 25, 2024, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing 340 rockets at air defense facilities in northern Israel and launching a large number of UAVs at IDF bases in retaliation to the killing of Fuad Shukr, the organization’s military commander. Earlier, the Israeli Air Force carried out a pre-emptive strike …
Read More »