Humanitarian crises

A boy sits outside the entrance to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) building complex in Gaza City, on Sept. 6, 2025.

Interview

UNRWA plans Turkey office to boost Gaza, Syria aid as pledges dip

Speaking exclusively to Al-Monitor, UNRWA’s Tamara Alrifai said the upcoming Turkey office would help the agency to expand its operations not only in Gaza but also in Syria.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 21: Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations | Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs at the Rayburn House Office Building on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rubio testified on the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of State. (Photo by John McDonnell/Getty Images)

Analysis

US options constrained in Sudan as RSF snubs Washington, sanctions fail

Washington is attempting to broker a humanitarian truce between Sudan’s warring factions, but analysts warn there’s little sign either side is ready to stop fighting.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

A South African Airways (SAA) flight is seen on the tarmac before departing from the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Sept. 23, 2021.

After 13 hours, 150 Gazans allowed to enter South Africa: What to know

The group were reportedly stranded for several hours after opting to leave the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Meet Rama Duwaji, Mamdani's wife and New York’s first lady of Syrian descent

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, largely stayed out of the spotlight during the campaign but her Syrian heritage has shaped her views and upbringing.

Latest News

Interview

International Red Cross chief says Gaza conflict goes beyond anything he has ever seen

Members of the Red Cross stand amid the rubble of destroyed buildings as heavy machinery operates in the al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City on Oct. 27, 2025.

Pierre Krahenbuhl

Pierre Krahenbuhl

Director-General of the International Committee

Sudan PM orders state of alert as atrocity claims mount in Darfur

EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP via Getty Images

RSF’s el-Fasher takeover kills 2,300 in Sudan as UAE accused of aiding militia

Displaced Sudanese who fled el-Fasher after the city fell to the Rapid Support Forces rest near the the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Rafah reopening in limbo as Israel accuses Hamas of delaying return of hostages’ remains

General view of the Rafah Border Crossing on Oct. 9, 2025 in Rafah, Egypt.

Humanitarian aid is dropped on the Gaza Strip, west of Gaza City, on March 25, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and the militant group Hamas, with the background showing Israel's Rutenberg power station near Ashkelon.

US military halts Gaza humanitarian aid pier, citing weather

A US defense official told Al-Monitor the pier remains on schedule, but an agreement to have workers with the UN World Food Programme distribute aid from the pier remains under intensive negotiation amid significant security concerns.

Youths gather atop an elevated area in al-Zahra in the central Gaza Strip on April 23, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Dangers for Palestinian aid workers stall deal on US-built Gaza pier

Israel’s role in providing security for the maritime endeavor has raised questions over the safety and neutrality of the Palestinian aid workers involved.

Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns listens during a hearing with the House (Select) Intelligence Committee in the Cannon Office Building on March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC.

CIA chief arrives in Egypt ahead of Hamas delegation for Gaza talks

The arrival of CIA chief William Burns to Cairo may indicate that not all is lost, as Washington keeps pushing for Hamas to accept the hostage release deal.

AFP via Getty Images

Interview

EU envoy says Israel cannot condition Gaza humanitarian aid on hostage deal

EU envoy to the Middle East process Sven Koopmans said Israel cannot condition the expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza on reaching a hostage deal with Hamas.

Sven Koopmans

Sven Koopmans

EU Special Representative for Middle East Peace Process

People walk past trucks carrying humanitarian aid that entered Gaza by truck through the Kerem Shalom (Karm Abu Salem) border crossing.

‘Bracing for the worst’: Aid groups draw up Rafah contingency plans

The uncertainty surrounding Israel’s threatened ground offensive in Gaza's southern city of Rafah has made it difficult for aid groups to prepare for their own evacuations.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Blinken Bibi

Blinken meets Netanyahu, pressures Hamas to agree to cease-fire deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the rounds of senior Israeli officials on Wednesday after stops in Amman and Riyadh.

TOPSHOT - A Palestinian looks at the damage to buildings after Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

With clock ticking in Cairo, Netanyahu ups threats, cancels war cabinet meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to enter Rafah regardless of the outcome of the current negotiations with Hamas.

EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/AFP via Getty Images

As Egypt expresses optimism, how Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal could look

As Israel and the rest of the world wait for Hamas to respond to the latest cease-fire proposal, new reports suggest that Israel will agree to a reduced number of 33 hostages to be released in the first stage.

ABIR SULTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel braces for ICC warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant

Israeli leaders have confirmed concerns that the International Criminal Court in the Hague will issue international arrest warrants over the Gaza war.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2-R) arrives for group photo with (L-R) Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

Israel war cabinet meets as Egypt proposes three-phase Gaza cease-fire plan

Reports suggest that Egypt has taken the lead on a new round of talks with Hamas and has presented Israel with a fresh proposal for a hostage-release and truce deal.

People rush to landing humanitarian aid packages dropped over the northern Gaza Strip on April 23, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

US military begins construction on humanitarian aid pier off Gaza

Mortar shells rained down on a section of Gaza’s coast on Thursday, underscoring the risks inherent in the Pentagon’s plan to rely on the Israeli military to provide security for humanitarian pier as the US seeks to stave off famine.

A boy helps a vendor arrange his merchandise as he sets up before the rubble of a collapsed building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 23, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Israeli security chiefs in Cairo to discuss possible Rafah invasion

In Egypt, IDF chief Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar reportedly discussed Israel's plan to enter Rafah as well as the possibility of restarting negotiations for a hostage deal.