Beyond the Headlines

The notorious Al Hol camp in north-east Syria finally closed its doors this week. Thousands of alleged ISIS members and their families had been held there for years in inhumane conditions and without charge or trial.  Human rights groups had long advocated for the camp to be closed but the events that unfolded before it was emptied were described as chaotic. The disorganised handover of the camp f...

The US and Iran are facing off in a battle for concessions once more, as they resume nuclear talks against the backdrop of military threats. Officials said good progress was made at the latest round of negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday but added that a lot of work lies ahead. Only a day later, the White House warned Tehran it would be “wise” to make a deal. The US has boosted its military deployme...

Israel’s recent change of land-buying policies in the occupied West Bank has been condemned by the international community and the UN. The measures have been designed to make it easier for settlers to acquire Palestinian land in areas that until now had been under the Palestinian Authority’s administration. Critics have described the move as de facto annexation of the territory that would crush an...

The rules-based international order is the system of principles, laws and institutions put in place since the end of the Second World War to protect human rights and prevent conflict. But this status quo has been challenged by the past two years of wars and serious breaches of international law. Bodies such as the UN are also facing an uphill battle. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned t...

Jared Kushner’s vision for Gaza may have been presented in a vibrant-coloured map and renderings of futuristic, high-rise towers, but Palestinians in the strip say they are sceptical. Residents likened it to a property advert rather than a plan to rehabilitate what they have lost in the war. They told The National they fear they could be pushed out of the enclave while construction takes place, an...

After days of fighting, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and government troops under President Ahmad Al Shara agreed to a fragile ceasefire. But in that short time – and with each side still accusing the other of attacks – the landscape has already changed. Areas that were under SDF control, mostly in the north-east, are now in possession of the government. The Kurdish-led group was previo...

Two weeks of protests in Iran have been met with a regime crackdown that threatens to provoke foreign intervention. What started as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions has spiralled into an uprising across the country, putting the government under immense pressure. US President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran if more protesters were killed, and reassured Iranians that help was...

Even though Caracas sits across the ocean, thousands of kilometres from the Middle East, the US attack on Venezuela and capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro has been unsettling. For Venezuelans who felt oppressed by Maduro’s regime, the raid brought the prospect of hope for a better future. But for others, it was a worrying signal of American interventionism and a breach of sovereignty. In the reg...

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara’s government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country. It came after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who may have had links with ISIS. At the time, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the...

The profound transformations in the Middle East this past year have rippled far beyond the region, reshaping politics and alliances around the world. The US has taken a new interest in Syria. Lebanon is discussing the logistics of disarming Hezbollah. Europe has overwhelmingly recognised Palestinian statehood. But behind the news there is always the fine print: Why now, who stands to benefit and a...

Political power in Yemen is shifting once again, reigniting questions about who truly holds authority in the country and whether it is heading towards another fundamental rupture. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), which holds three seats in the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), has long pushed for southern independence. In recent days, its forces have fought battles in Al...

Two months have passed since a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, but the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan has yet to materialise. The uncertainty has left Gazans anxious that the ceasefire could collapse – as the last truce did in March. The initial part of the agreement included the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees and a stop to the fighting. Now thes...

A year has passed since Bashar Al Assad’s government fell in Syria, marking the end of a brutal civil war that lasted for almost 14 years. In the end, it took less than two weeks last December for an insurgency of rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham to take control of Damascus. It was a euphoric moment for Syrians opposed to the Assad regime. The HTS leader quickly traded his fatigues for a s...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a cabinet meeting this month to discuss settler violence, but this sudden interest stands in stark contrast to years of inaction by the state. Settler attacks in the occupied West Bank hit a record high in October, the worst monthly toll since record-keeping began almost two decades ago.  The violence is happening with impunity and under the protect...

Israel has bombed Lebanon on an almost daily basis over the past year, despite a ceasefire being in place. Its army claims to be attacking Hezbollah, accusing the group of re-arming. But civilian infrastructure, agricultural land and even construction equipment in southern border towns have been destroyed in the attacks. At least 100 civilians have been killed over the past year. Just this week, 1...

When the Sudanese city of El Fasher fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in late October, the group gained control of the entire Darfur region and areas to the south-west. Their rivals, the Sudanese armed forces, control the capital Khartoum, as well as the northern, eastern and central areas of the country. The fear now is that Sudan could be divided, as the fighting rages on for a third...

Iraqis are going back to polls this month for the sixth time since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein more than 20 years ago. It is expected to be one of the most contested elections yet. Political factions are competing for power, both in parliament and through armed groups, many backed by Iran. Candidates have been accused of making empty promises, of corruption and even of vote-buy...

How does the superpower rivalry between the US and China dictate international relations more broadly? And what does it mean for the future of trade, security and development? How does the superpower rivalry between the US and China dictate international relations more broadly? And what does it mean for the future of trade, security and development? Lynn Kuok, Lee Kuan Yew chair in South-East Asia...

Under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, a yellow line has been traced along the inside of the enclave's land borders. It designates more than half of Gaza as territory controlled by Israel. Until recently, that line had been completely invisible for Palestinians. The Israeli military has since begun to place large concrete blocks to demarcate the line, but confusion still reigns and...

In Gaza, a fragile ceasefire comes with great uncertainty for the future. In Yemen, the Houthis are abducting humanitarian workers and journalists in a witch hunt for alleged spies. And in Syria, a new and unstable political landscape could go either way. “It's not easy to build peace. It's much easier to stop a war,” says Martin Griffiths, executive director of Mediation Group International. The...

Palestine’s olive harvest season started this month, and quickly became the target of Israeli settler attacks . A viral video this week showed a mob violently chasing Palestinian olive pickers in an occupied West Bank town north-east of Ramallah. A masked man is seen striking a woman with a club in the field, knocking her to the ground. In another town, farmers trying to harvest their groves were...

World leaders gathered in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday to sign a declaration of peace in Gaza. But the resurgence of armed militias brings a new threat to the strip. Clashes have broken out between these groups and Hamas security forces in recent days, prompting fears of more violence. Back in June, a leak forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to admit Israel was “activating” Palestinian militias....

Palestinians in Gaza took to the streets overnight to celebrate the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. They welcomed the news of a deal to pause the fighting and release Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The agreement has not yet been signed and it is only the first phase of a peace plan set out by US President Donald Trump. After two years of war, the deal would bring much relief to...

Almost 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began two years ago after Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel. About 90 per cent of residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed. On average, a child is killed every hour. The toll taken is often measured in scale and impact, in mass destruction and collective suffering. But this big picture is made up of a mosaic of...

US President Donald Trump’s strategy to end the war in Gaza and prepare for the day after has divided opinion. After two years of failed ceasefire talks, it is the only prospect within reach now that could bring some respite to Palestinians enduring Israel’s relentless war. But it also leaves much to the imagination. The 20-point list promises a “deradicalised, terror-free” strip without Hamas rul...