Nine bodies unearthed in Latakia mass grave, one of dozens found in post-Assad Syria As part of the efforts by new Syrian authorities to bring justice to victims of the Assad regime, dozens of mass graves containing thousands of bodies — believed to be victims of former regime forces — have been discovered across Syria. Syria
Iraq begins exhuming ISIS mass grave at Al-Khasfa thought to hold 3,000+ victims In 2024, Human Rights Watch said that hundreds of thousands of victims remain buried in mass graves across Iraq, including those killed under former President Saddam Hussein. Iraq
UN: Syria's March violence saw ‘likely’ war crimes by Damascus, Assad remnants The United Nations noted deliberate targeting of Alawite civilians in its report on the killings along the Syrian coast and called on the government to expand its efforts in taking steps toward accountability. Syria
Iran border clash kills 3 militants, police officer in Baluchistan: What to know Iranian forces have prioritized targeting Jaish al-Adl and other groups in the southeast, and are seeking cooperation with Pakistan on the issue. Iran
Analysis Emboldened by Suwayda fallout, Syria’s Kurds hold their ground with Damascus By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Egypt looks to remove religion from ID cards — but is it too little, too late? A proposed bill to remove religious status from national ID cards is welcomed by activists, but they say much more needs to be done to counter the discrimination and unprecedented levels of persecution suffered by Egypt's religious minorities. Egypt
Can Israeli Druze bring about cancellation of Nationality Law? Spurred by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s resignation and the realization that elections will likely be moved to early 2019, the leaders of the Druze community are determined to fight against the Nationality Law. Israel
Iraqi artists, volunteers seek to restore morale in Mosul Singers, poets and volunteers try to revive pluralism in Mosul but old wounds, particularly between different religious groups, linger on. Iraq
‘Israelization’ of ultra-Orthodox affects municipal elections The integration of the ultra-Orthodox community into Israeli society at large and internal divisions within the ultra-Orthodox world have caused many ultra-Orthodox Jews to vote for candidates in the municipal elections, who are not themselves ultra-Orthodox. Israel
School bells ring again at Mosul's Christian school Shimon Safa Elementary School has welcomed students of many faiths for years, and now the Christian school has opened again, thanks to the residents of the city. Iraq
Why Iraqi Turkmens are excluded from the new government Iraqi Turkmens say they have been excluded from the new Iraqi government because they refuse to follow a sectarian approach to politics. Iraq
Israeli intervention in Jerusalem provokes Coptic Christians A recent run-in shines a spotlight on age-old disputes between Christian denominations in the Middle East. Palestine
Can Libya’s tribes help solve crisis? In an interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the Supreme Council of the Tuareg Tribes, Mawlay Qudeidi, speaks about the clashes between rival militias in Tripoli, the security situation and illegal immigration in the south, as well as the elections pushed for by the United Nations. Libya
Tunisia’s bold move to end racial discrimination Activists hailed the Tunisian parliament’s recent approval of a law criminalizing racial discrimination, although they believe the road is still long to completely eliminate racism that is deeply rooted in Tunisian society. Tunisia
Why demolishing West Bank village will cost Israel dearly Europe is warning Israel that demolishing Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin-Palestinian village, will constitute a war crime and lead to demands for financial compensation for facilities there provided by its members. Palestine
Israel’s ‘Mizrahi revolution’ enters a new stage Education Minister Naftali Bennett is acting to include works by Mizrahi figures in literature and poetry in the school curriculum. Israel
Thousands left stateless in Iran amid ID card limbo Thousands of mainly ethnic Balochs are deprived of access to basic government services in Iran as they are formally stateless without state-issued ID cards. Iran
