Middle East leaders join Trump’s Board of Peace despite mandate concerns Foreign officials are scrambling to understand the board’s expansive mandate ahead of a signing ceremony Thursday. Palestine
Russia to host PA’s Abbas as Putin mulls joining Trump's Gaza Board of Peace President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit will coincide with the signing ceremony of the Trump administration's Board of Peace charter on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. Palestine
Turkey, Israel, Pakistan to join Trump's Board of Peace as Italy hedges: What to know The Turkish president accepted the US leader's invitation to join the Gaza Board of Peace along with Egypt and Israel. Turkey
Analysis Turkey casts Israel’s Somaliland move as overreach, but Somalia’s fragility poses risks Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is widely dismissed in Ankara as a strategic overreach, but it is nevertheless exposing the limits of Turkey’s influence in Somalia. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis In 2025, Netanyahu saved his coalition but stalled on Gaza, Iran, Lebanon By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Israel may regret hasty UNESCO exit Israel reacted quickly to the US announcement that it was pulling out of UNESCO with one of its own, potentially forfeiting an opportunity to shore up its international presence. Qatar
How will Hamas’ new deputy head influence events? The election of Saleh al-Arouri as deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau reflects a shift in the movement toward leaders with strong local ties in the Palestinian territories. Palestine
Israel should practice what it preaches to the Palestinians Instead of risking a three-front war with its current policy of settlement expansion, Israel would do better if its leaders followed through on previous peace initiatives and the commitments it has made in negotiations with the Palestinians. Palestine
Hamas, Fatah ignore elephant in the room, for now Egypt believes that building trust between Hamas and Fatah should precede clarifying the remaining difficult issues between them, such as what to do about Hamas’ military wing. Palestine
Trump’s policies radicalize Israeli, Palestinian stances President Donald Trump’s shift toward more radical policy positions on the Middle East is generating a radicalization in the tactical positions of both Israelis and Palestinians. Palestine
Exploiting Palestinian workers is not ‘economic peace’ Palestinians increasingly depend on Israel’s goodwill to open its gates for poor West Bank workers. Palestine
Why Hamas should thank Netanyahu The Netanyahu government has done its fair share to strengthen Hamas as part of its efforts to weaken Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and distance the possibility of peacefully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Was Abbas' endorsement of one-state solution plea or ploy? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ended his UN speech with an assurance that the "inevitable" freedom coming for Palestinians may take the form of a single-state solution. Palestine
Can Israel live with Lebanon-inspired Palestinian state? Israel fears that a Palestinian unity government would actually allow Hamas to preserve its armed forces. Palestine
Israel bets against Palestinian unity Israel's intelligence community does not think a Fatah-Hamas reconciliation will last in the long run, and the current Israeli government hopes it is right. Palestine
US, Israel on standby as Egypt pushes Palestinian reconciliation The United States and Israel are laying low while Egypt tries to end the rift between Fatah and Hamas, which Cairo sees as an obstacle to regional peace and security. Palestine
Hamas invites Russia to play role in Palestinian affairs As new global crises overshadow the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Hamas seeks to give Russia a wider scope of involvement in a variety of Palestinian issues. Palestine
