Humanitarian crises

People attend a mass funeral for members of the Abu Sharia and Al-Hasayna families, whose remains were recently recovered from the rubble of their homes after an attack earlier in the war, on Aug. 4, 2026 in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza.

Gaza family buries 112 recovered from war rubble after Israeli strike

In early July, Gaza’s Government Media Office said that more than 2,700 families have been erased from the civil registry after all their members were killed by Israeli military action.

Responders arrive to a demolished building at San Bernardino after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Venezuela and other regions in the Caribbean on June 24, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela.

Israel, Turkey, Iran offer aid as Venezuela’s 2 quakes kill at least 188

Iran, Turkey and Israel were among the first countries to offer assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela despite their varying diplomatic relationships with Caracas.

Janti Soeripto helps at a community kitchen serving hot meals to displaced families arriving from El-Fasher.

Interview

As Sudan war drags on, US-Iran conflict compounds humanitarian crisis in Darfur

Save the Children US President and CEO Janti Soeripto said delivering aid in Sudan remains extremely difficult, with supply trucks often delayed for weeks or months even after entering the country.

Janti Soeripto

President and CEO of Save the Children US

Olmert

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Al-Monitor that Israel will only be able to defang Hezbollah if it reaches an agreement with the Lebanese government.

Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert

Former Israeli prime minister

Latest News

Interview

Minister warns aid cuts to Lebanon risk empowering Hezbollah

Haneen Sayyed

Haneen Sayyed

Haneen Sayyed

Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs

Iran war deepens Gaza crisis as prices soar, aid falters

Children and families gather to receive free meals shortly before Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan at a displacement camp in central Gaza City, on Feb. 27, 2026.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

Analysis

Why Germany may struggle to meet Merz’s 80% Syria repatriation goal

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa depart after speaking to the media following talks at the Chancellery on March 30, 2026, in Berlin, Germany.

By Rosaleen Carroll

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

China to send aid to Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan as Trump delays Beijing summit

Lin Jian

Burns, Barnea and Al Thani met Egyptian officials in Cairo on Feb. 13, 2024, "to discuss a truce in Gaza."

Mossad chief leaves Cairo after talks with US, Egypt, Qatar on new Israel-Hamas deal

The meeting in Cairo between Israeli, American, Egyptian and Qatari top officials ended after several hours of discussions in an attempt to advance a deal for the release of hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza.

CIA Director William Burns arrives for a briefing on Ukraine at the US Capitol, Washington, Sept. 20, 2023.

CIA chief heads to Cairo for Mossad-Egypt-Qatar talks amid Rafah fears

CIA Director Bill Burns will discuss a new hostage deal with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo as Israel prepares to invade Rafah despite international and regional warnings.

People look at portraits of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants, as relatives and supporters rally calling for their release in Tel Aviv on February 3, 2024.

Two hostages rescued during Israeli operation in Gaza's Rafah

After postponing the operation several times, Israeli security forces entered early Monday morning the city of Rafah, rescuing two hostages.

lestinian Red Crescent volunteers and UN staff prepare to assist a Palestinian man reportedly shot by Israeli forces, Zeitoun district, outskirts of Gaza City, Nov. 25, 2023.

eSIMs offer connectivity lifeline for Gaza medics, journalists and residents

Emergency workers in Gaza have struggled through communications blackouts, but Egyptian activists have provided temporary connectivity for some in need with thousands of eSIMs.

MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel weighs bad options in Rafah as hunt for Sinwar continues

The Israeli military is still focused on fighting in Khan Younis but could shift into an operation in Rafah, and international observers are panicked.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Egyptian Red Crescent members load on a truck humanitarian aid for war-torn Gaza brought by a French air force Airbus A400M cargo aircraft at El-Arish International Airport on November 20, 2023 as Israel has vowed to destroy Gaza's rulers Hamas after the Palestinian militant group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7. About 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed in Israel during Hamas's October 7 attack and around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials

How Israel’s 'convoluted' inspections are hindering Gaza aid

Humanitarian groups say Israel's time-consuming inspections process and denial of "dual-use" goods is hampering aid delivery in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) looks on as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives statements to the media inside The Kirya, which houses the Israeli Defence Ministry, after their meeting in Tel Aviv on Oct. 12, 2023.

Blinken in Israel says Hamas proposal 'creates space' for possible hostage deal

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Hamas’ response to a proposed hostage and cease-fire deal as “delusional,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to the region that there’s still a chance for an agreement to be reached.

In an aerial view, a new housing project under construction for displaced earthquake survivors is seen in the Gulderen district on Feb. 1, 2024, in Hatay, Turkey.

With $104 billion in damages, Turkey’s earthquake region sees slow recovery

Turkey’s quake victims can hardly hope for a faster recovery, as Ankara seems to be keeping the pace of reconstruction tied to its overall economic roadmap, wary of overheating the fragile economy.

Relatives of missing persons hold placards and a banner with their portraits at the Hatay Earthquake Martyrs Cemetery, during a gathering marking the first anniversary of a powerful earthquake that hit the region, in Antakya, southern Turkish Hatay Province, on Feb. 6, 2024.

Turkey marks anniversary of deadliest earthquakes in its modern history

A year on, survivors of Turkey’s massive twin earthquakes gathered across the impact zone encompassing 11 provinces to commemorate their loved ones.

President Joe Biden answers questions while departing the White House on Jan. 30, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Will Biden listen to Congress progressives, condition aid to Israel?

More Democratic senators are asking the White House to condition military support to Israel as the war in Gaza drags on and the humanitarian situation grows more dire.

Outgoing French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (R) welcomes newly appointed Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne at the ministry before the handover ceremony in Paris, on Jan. 12, 2024.

France's Colonna to lead UNRWA investigation as Spain, Portugal donate $4.8 M

Former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna will lead a UN investigation into allegations that 12 UNRWA staffers participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas assault against Israel.

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne chairs a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Middle East, including the situation in Gaza and Israel on Jan. 23, 2024, in New York City.

France's new FM Sejourne makes first visit to Egypt, Lebanon, Israel & Jordan

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné is set to visit the Middle East, meeting with almost all the parties involved in the Gaza war, except Qatar.