The World Briefly

July 22, 2024

The Pressure From Below

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) released a legal opinion declaring Israeli policies and practices in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem as unlawful, a non-binding decision that could impact Israel’s international standing and add pressure on the country to agree to a Palestinian...

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The World Briefly

June 18, 2024

Burden of the Crown

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet Monday following the resignation of its two centrist members, leaving the embattled leader even more vulnerable to the increasing internal and international pressure to stop the war, the Washington Post reported. The war cabinet was originally established...

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Need to Know

June 13, 2024

Tinted Lenses

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Bombs and bullets are flying in the Gaza Strip even as both sides mull a ceasefire deal. Even so, the battles over hearts and minds are just as intense. As a result, what Israelis see is a very different war than is broadcast to the rest...

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The World Briefly

June 10, 2024

Lights and Shadows

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Israeli forces freed four hostages taken by Hamas and its allies following an intense rescue operation over the weekend that has elicited cheers in Israel and among some world leaders, but condemnation from Palestinians and diplomats, NPR reported Sunday. The hostages were kidnapped by Hamas and...

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The World Briefly

June 06, 2024

Remains of the Day

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Israel launched a new military campaign against Hamas in central Gaza Wednesday, an offensive that comes ahead of crucial ceasefire talks, as well as ongoing international pressure on Israel over its actions in the Palestinian enclave, Reuters reported. The offensive, aimed at eliminating Hamas, has involved...

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The World Briefly

June 03, 2024

A Small Pinprick of Light

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Israel agreed to US President Joe Biden’s plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, according to a senior aide of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an announcement that comes amid international and domestic pressure to end the eight-month-long war in Gaza, NBC News...

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The World Briefly

May 29, 2024

On the High Wire

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Israeli tanks advanced further into Rafah Tuesday as part of an expanding military operation in the southern Gazan city, an escalation that comes amid growing international condemnation of Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas since the two sides began fighting in October, the Wall Street Journal...

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The World Briefly

May 27, 2024

A Matter of Interpretation

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Dozens of people were killed or injured in an explosion at a refugee camp in the southern Gazan area of Rafah, the BBC reported Monday, with the Israel Defense Forces saying it had targeted Hamas leaders in the compounds following a rocket barrage from the...

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The World Briefly

May 21, 2024

Splitting the Baby

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The chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court is seeking arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity for the leaders of Israel and Hamas for their actions during the seven-month war, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim...

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The World Briefly

May 20, 2024

Wanted: A Plan

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Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz threatened to resign from Israel’s war cabinet if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not come up with a long-term plan for the war with Hamas or the future of the Gaza Strip by next month, an announcement that underscored the...

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Need to Know

May 13, 2024

Drawing in Pencil

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Rebuilding Gaza after Israel’s devastating military operations in the Palestinian territory since Oct. 7 could cost $50 billion. “We have not seen anything like this since 1945,” said United Nations development program director Abdallah Al Dardari, according to Al Jazeera. “That intensity, in such a short...

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The World Briefly

May 07, 2024

Forcing Ground

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Israel on Monday issued orders for the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians in Rafah, a sign that it is moving forward on its plan for a ground invasion of the Gazan city despite criticism by Western allies and a Hamas agreement to a ceasefire deal, the...

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The World Briefly

April 24, 2024

Burden of Proof

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Israel did not provide evidence that a “significant” number of workers in a United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees were linked to militant groups such as Hamas, according to a UN report released this week, the Washington Post reported. At the same time, the UN’s independent...

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The World Briefly

April 12, 2024

The ‘Honor of Martyrdom’

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An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who afterward insisted the deaths would not affect ongoing ceasefire negotiations between the Palestinian group and Israel, CNN reported. The three brothers were visiting relatives in a refugee camp in Gaza...

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The World Briefly

March 20, 2024

Old Guard, New Guard

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The Palestinian Authority’s new prime minister on Tuesday unveiled a series of wide-ranging plans to fight corruption and rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip, in a bid to revitalize the government following years of criticism over corruption and a lack of new elections, the Times of...

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The World Briefly

March 04, 2024

Unfulfilling Rain

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The United States joined five other countries in airdropping aid packages onto Gaza this weekend, a move described as “inefficient”, that came after more than 100 Palestinians died while trying to receive humanitarian aid in the enclave’s capital, the New York Times reported. In a joint...

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The World Briefly

February 27, 2024

A ‘Half-Step’

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The prime minister and government of the Palestinian Authority (PA) stepped down Monday as the United States and Middle Eastern countries are demanding reforms for the body to govern Gaza after the war, a move falling short of key demands, the Wall Street Journal reported. In...

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The World Briefly

February 26, 2024

Slow Progress

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Talks for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will continue in Qatar, according to Egyptian state media, following a framework formulated in France over the weekend between negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Israel and Hamas representatives, the Times of Israel reported Sunday. Over...

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The World Briefly

February 20, 2024

Under Pressure

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The United Nations’ top court began a hearing into Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land Monday, even as Israel and Hamas continue to fight a bloody war in the Gaza strip that has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians, the Associated Press reported. During the hearing at The...

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The World Briefly

February 13, 2024

A Hard ‘Nee’

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A court in the Netherlands on Monday ruled that the government block all exports of F-35 parts to Israel, arguing their use could be in violation of international law, Reuters reported. “It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used...

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