In the Middle East, a chain of conflicts is taking place set off by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel followed by the latter’s retaliation on Gaza Strip; Iran’s region wide attack through non-state proxies; and thus, setting a stage for Islamist rebels to topple the Assad’s regime, ending a half-century-old dictatorship in Syria. We also witnessed more aggression from Russia on Ukraine and thereby threatening a wider confrontation in Europe.
Tag: Gaza
Constitutional Crisis in Georgia
On New Year’s Eve demonstrators in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, held a supra (a traditional feast) outside the parliament. They were not only welcoming in 2025 but expressing, yet again, their outrage at the ruling Georgian Dream party. In November, after winning a dodgy election, it halted EU-accession talks. The protestors, who will probably assemble for a 36th consecutive day on Thursday despite attempts to dissuade them with beatings, water cannon and tear gas, want a fresh vote to get Georgia back on a pro-Western track.
Israel’s Ceasefire in Lebanon and Iran’s Next Move
Iran analysts live by two core assumptions: that the country wants to fight Israel through proxies, rather than directly, and that it doesn’t want all-out war. Both now look fragile. Iran launched missiles at Israel in April and October, both in retaliation for Israeli attacks. Most of the missiles were intercepted. But now Iran appears weaker: Israeli strikes on Iranian military facilities on October 26th struck a blow to its defences and its strategy. And the killing of Hizbollah’s top ranks dealt a blow to the “axis of resistance”, a group of militias backed by Iran.
This Year, Putin’s Way
On Thursday Vladimir Putin hosts his annual press conference, in which he answers softball questions about the year’s achivements at great length. Russia’s president may be cheerful. His forces continue to progress in eastern Ukraine, albeit at a cost of many men. And Donald Trump’s victory might provide a boon. Many people think he will keep his promise to end the war swiftly by imposing a bad deal on Ukraine. Still, the Russian president has plenty of problems.
Gaza Starts to Feel Forgotten amid Syrian Crisis
Many Palestinians in Gaza cheered the scenes in Syria this week, as rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Last month they watched the war in Lebanon end; now Syria’s 13-year civil war might be at a close too. But Israel’s war in Gaza drags on. At least 28 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday, according to Palestinian medics.
Rebels Declare Damascus Free of al-Assad
After just a few days of rapid advances, the rebels appeared to control Syria’s capital. Rebels declared that they would work with a top official in President Bashar al-Assad’s government. Mr. al-Assad’s location was unclear. Rebel fighters stormed into Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Sunday, taking them to the brink of a stunning victory as evidence mounted that Syrian forces and their leader, President Bashar al-Assad, had fled. In just two weeks, a bitter stalemate that had held for years in Syria has been snapped.
Trump’s 2.0: Testing Period for Saudi-Iran Rapprochement
The shifting geopolitical landscape in West Asia has become particularly evident after the Saudi Arabia-Iran rapprochement. Despite the prevailing instability in the region exacerbated by the Gaza crisis, the détente between these arch-rivals has opened diplomatic channels to bolster cooperation. Amid rising pragmatism in the Gulf, Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential elections has brought United States policy in the region into the spotlight.
Xi’s European Tour: Global Power Shifts and India’s Challenge
In these changing times, where every nation is trying to recalibrate its position according to its interests and the shifting power balances President Xi Jinping’s visit to France, Hungary, and Serbia has garnered observers of international politics their inquisitive seats of analysis. This comes when multiple conflictual clashes are building around the globe. The more than two-year war in Ukraine, the result of which seems to be elusive to the site, the Israeli siege of Gaza and its spillover effects in the region and the covert build-up of tensions between Israel and Iran distorting the current power status quo.
How Far Have University Student Protests Influenced Solidarity with Gaza?
Student protests in solidarity with Palestine have surged at universities worldwide following the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Protesters are demanding that their institutions sever ties with Israel and divest from companies supporting the conflict. The protests, largely organised by coalitions of student groups, have spread across the United States, Canada, Europe, and even Australia. Students have set up encampments on campuses to pressure universities into taking action. Protesters argue that universities should not maintain relationships with entities linked to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and that such ties are inappropriate.
Examining Allegations of Apartheid in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
I noticed that many people who refer to Israel as an apartheid state use the term to describe all of Palestine, including the State of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, instead of addressing each part separately. I believe that focusing on each part individually is the best strategy, as the West Bank and Gaza have their own respective authorities and government institutions. It would be unfair to lump them together with Israel. When we consider Israel, there are no signs or indications of apartheid aside from the inflammatory language used by some Knesset members. All citizens, whether Arab or Jewish, are free to do as they please. Similarly, in Gaza, in the absence of any Israelis, it is impossible to speak about apartheid.