Wartime closures at Jerusalem holy sites raise fears of lasting shift among Palestinians Palestinians say sweeping restrictions during Ramadan and ahead of Eid reflect security concerns, but there is concern they could ultimately reshape access to worship in the Old City. Palestine
Analysis Hamas sits out Iran war as Gaza, Gulf interests take priority Hamas has so far stayed out of the escalating Iran war, despite its longstanding alliance with Tehran, reflecting a cautious strategic calculation. By Abeer Ayyoub In Istanbul, reporting on Palestine
Spain recalls Israel ambassador, calls Iran war 'flagrant illegality': What to know Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the US-Israel war in Iran a "flagrant illegality.” Israel
'No meaningful protection': Israel’s new Gaza aid rules raise data, security risks The guidelines expand Israeli authority to deny NGO registration in the Palestinian territories and visas for foreign aid workers as Gaza continues to reel from two years of war. Palestine
Analysis Why Turkey’s exclusion from Gaza force may be a strategic blessing By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
With confidence at all-time high, can China emerge as Mideast peace broker? China is riding a wave of support since its Iran-Saudi agreement, but experts say the Palestinian-Israeli brokerage is a different matter. Israel
2023 in review: Gaza war forces Palestinian question on Biden’s agenda For most of 2023, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remained on the Biden administration’s back burner amid a major push for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Israel
Famine looms as more than 21,000 killed in Gaza Israel presses on with its offensive in the Gaza Strip, while the humanitarian situation quickly deteriorates. Palestine
2023 in review: Israel-Hamas war puts human rights in focus as pattern of double standards persists A growing number of countries — many of them repressive in their own right — demand to know why Israel’s abuses are permissible. Israel
Who is Sigrid Kaag, veteran diplomat and UN's new aid coordinator for Gaza? Sigrid Kaag has worked extensively with the UN in the Middle East. She is fluent in Arabic and speaks Dutch, German, French, English and Spanish. Palestine
