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Nabil Mohsen is an Intern at the Middle East Institute’s Oman Library. He is a determined learner who enjoys his studies in politics and is interested in Islamic history, architecture, and ceramics.
If the war in Gaza isn’t horrific enough, the world also has to worry about its possible expansion. The one theater that could prove to be the most lethal and devastating to the entire region is Lebanon-Israel. There, Israel would have to deal with Hezbollah, a foe with capabilities far more significant than Hamas’s, and which many view as the world’s most powerful non-state militant actor.
So, will Hezbollah join the fight and turn this into a regional war to aid its Palestinian partner?
مخاطر الطاقة في حرب إسرائيل الجديدة كبيرة ومتزايدة
تخوض دولة إسرائيل والجماعة الإرهابية حماس صراعاً وجودياً، حيث يهدد كل منهما بقاء الآخر، فضلاً عن بقاء المدنيين الفلسطينيين والإسرائيليين العالقين بينهما. وقد يتوسع هذا الصراع ليصبح أزمة إقليمية أو حتى عالمية. وبالنسبة لأسواق الطاقة والاقتصاد العالمي، فإن المخاطر كبيرة ويمكن أن تتغير أو تتسارع استجابة لمتغيرات متعددة.
Dehumanization, lack of empathy for Palestinians is alarming—and dangerous
The scale and brutality of Hamas’s grisly attack on Israel last Saturday has understandably triggered a massive outpouring of sympathy and solidarity with Israel. And yet, there has been no similar outpouring of sympathy for Palestinians, who are now also dying in disturbingly large numbers.
As Israel-Hamas war begins, it’s not too late to shape this historic inflection point
Hamas’ murderous raid on Oct. 7, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, may well turn out to be a consequential inflection point, having unleashed political and popular forces that could lead in a positive or, just as likely, extremely negative direction.
A devastating Israel-Lebanon war is brewing, but it can still be stopped
This week’s shock attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas against Israel left the Middle East on a knife’s edge. The world remains focused on Israel’s unfolding military response in Gaza, which in the days ahead will surely prove long, punishing, and unpredictable.
Gulf States should push Iran to get serious about lowering tensions
Two days after the Hamas attack on Israel last weekend, a top Iranian official said that “Arab states willing to normalize relations with Israel [should] give up the process and learn a lesson from the latest developments in Palestine.” The comment makes one thing clear: Like Hamas, Tehran wants to stop Arab diplomatic normalization with Israel.
Hamas Has Already Lost. Now, Who Will Win the Peace?
The events that began in Israel on Oct. 7 are a historical hinge. Like 9/11, as has been said, 10/7 will be remembered by most observers as a bright dividing line between “before” and “after.” What’s at stake for Israel—a fight for its survival—has echoes in other battles taking place around the world like Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Iranian regime’s continued repression of its own people. The world keeps moving toward the future, but the past and those retrograde elements that want to move the world backward still want to have a say.
The new war between Israel and Hamas has amply illustrated that what Middle Eastern and American officials were claiming was the most peaceful in decades was anything but.
It was an easy mistake to make: across the region, negotiations were breaking out among hardened foes, countries were scaling back or ending interventions, and everyone seemed to be breathing a collective sigh of relief.
As is usual in the Middle East, the outbreak of peace is often just a harbinger of war.
In the eye of the storm: The battle over fossil fuels at COP28
As the existential threat of climate change continues to intensify, the future of fossil fuels has been thrust into the international spotlight. Reducing hydrocarbon production and consumption has gained traction in international climate talks amid warnings that the window to avoid catastrophic warming is closing quickly.
On Sept. 26, Jordan dealt a double blow to drug traffickers by intercepting two drones packed with crystal meth from Syria. But this is just the tip of a rapidly growing iceberg. In the past two months alone, Amman has thwarted four more drones, each laden with a deadly cocktail of drugs, arms, and explosives. This surge illuminates a disturbing evolution in the tactics of smuggling networks operating in southern Syria.
Turkish escalation in northeastern Syria amid changes in military strategy
After several quiet months on the Turkish-Syrian border, tensions have escalated in recent days. Turkish forces have intensified their attacks against the SDF in northeastern Syria and targeted PKK hideouts along the Turkish-Iraqi border. This escalation is unfolding against the backdrop of the suicide blast in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, on Oct. 1 that targeted the Interior Ministry.
