Beyond the Headlines

Air-raid alerts going off in Israel, many airports in the Middle East closed, flights delayed, the airspace over Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon shut down. That was Saturday night in the region as Iran launched its first major attack on Israel with around 300 drones and missiles. Most of the projectiles - launched in response to the April 1 strike on Iran’s embassy in Damascus that killed two general from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - were shot down before they even reached their targets. But Israel’s top general said immediately after the attack that the country will respond. In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher breaks down the current stand-off between Israel and Iran with senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, Hussein Ibish, and looks at the prospects for Israel’s retaliation.

It’s been almost a year since the war in Sudan broke out, bringing with it death, displacement and a humanitarian disaster. As the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group continue their deadly power struggle, civilians bear the brunt of the violence and instability gripping the nation. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. More than 8.5 million people have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring Egypt, Chad and South Sudan. Around 18 million of Sudan's 48 million people are acutely food insecure, and less than 5 per cent of the population can afford a full meal. In this week's episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the military battle for control of Sudan – and the civilians paying the price.

Social media has redefined the way people are experiencing the war in Gaza, with citizens and regular users alike playing a crucial role in sharing minute-by-minute updates from the region. Israel's continuous bombardment of Gaza for six months now since the October 7 attack by Hamas has propelled numerous activists to the forefront, utilising social media to shed light on the harrowing realities of the suffering. Recent developments such as Instagram's restrictions on political content, which has not yet been implemented in some parts of the Middle East, and algorithms prioritising specific content for public safety, have sparked concerns about stifling news organisations that provide around-the-clock coverage. In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, Thoraya Abdullahi looks at the role of social media in the current conflict, speaking to digital consultant at Financial Times Strategies Ben Whitelaw and social media influencer Rahma Zein.

This week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution – for the first time since the Israel-Gaza war began in October – demanding an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan. Hours later, more than 50 people were killed by Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave, bringing the death toll to more than 32,000 people – over 80 per cent of them women and children. Washington's criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza has grown sharper recently. The US abstained from Monday's Security Council vote, allowing it to pass. In reaction, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a planned trip to the US capital. So, what is the significance of this UN resolution? How binding is it? Who can make sure it takes effect? And is this a pivotal moment in the Israel-Gaza war, as it approaches its seventh month? In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher considers all of this as she speaks to former US ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein, who also served as a diplomat in several other countries in the region, and The National’s UN correspondent Adla Massoud.

After almost six months of war and more than 31,000 deaths in Gaza, ceasefire talks resumed in Doha this week as Hamas, Israel and mediators discussed the details of a potential future deal. Meanwhile, during his visit to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country had submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an “immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages” in Gaza. However, Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu has said he remains committed to an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite clear objections from US President Joe Biden. In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Nada Altaher examines the prospects for a ceasefire, the details of any proposals, and the stumbling blocks in place.

Ramadan is typically a time of spiritual reflection, self-discipline and community bonding for Muslims around the world. But for millions of people in the Arab region, Ramadan this year is defined by violence and uncertainty.   On top of that, the Middle East is amidst one of its worst food crises in recent years, according to the UN’s World Food Programme. About 40 million of the region’s 400 million people now face acute food insecurity, with 11 million unable to find enough food for their families each day. But this does not stop some families from coming together to break their fast, revive the Ramadan spirit, and share whatever they have with one another.   In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Thoraya Abdullahi takes a look at how Muslims observe Ramadan amid security threats, and delves into the different experiences in conflict zones, featuring voices from Sudan, Syria and Lebanon.

Ramadan this year will be different for the people of Gaza with Israel continuing an air and ground assault that has gone on for five months now. The threat of famine looms due to the limited supply of food and the disrupted process of getting aid in.   In most Muslim households across the world, families would usually stock up on ingredients and food supplies to accommodate the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset for almost 30 days. But traditional Ramadan customs and rituals in Gaza are now overshadowed by the struggle for survival.   In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, days before Ramadan begins, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Gazans who will observe the month of fasting in makeshifttents, and Steve Sosebee, founder of HEAL Palestine, discusses the humanitarian crisis and the lack of access to food and shelter there.  

Egypt is the only country other than Israel with a border with Gaza, which means the area between the city of Al Arish and the Palestinian territory bears witness to what is unfolding in Rafah. Tensions are high as Israeli officials say they will launch a ground offensive before Ramadan if the hostages held by Hamas aren’t released. This means the lives of half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, seeking refuge now in Rafah, close to the border, hang in the balance. The US and many leading nations have warned Israel against the offensive, fearing that a deepening humanitarian catastrophe that would follow could exacerbate Gaza’s death toll. But now, every action from Israel in Rafah will reverberate across borders. Especially in Egypt. The country’s foremost concern revolves around the possibility of Palestinians being forced under Israeli assault to attempt to breach the border with Northern Sinai. This would present broader complications for Egypt's security and regional stability. On this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Enas Refaei looks at how Egypt navigates a complex landscape, balancing humanitarian concerns with geopolitical realities.

Tens of thousands of lives have been lost among Ukrainians and Russians, countless buildings are in ruin, the landscape of eastern Ukraine has been ravaged by destruction and there is no end in sight. Two years after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, it has become certain that the impact of this conflict extends far beyond its borders. The shockwaves of the war have been felt in many countries, not just in Europe. It has also disrupted global trade, particularly in energy and food markets, affecting prices and supply chains worldwide. In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Damien McElroy delves deeper into the geopolitical and the military implications of this crisis. On the sidelines of Munich Security Conference, he sat down with Ambassador Kurt Volker, who was a special US representative for Ukraine and former ambassador to Nato, and Gallup’s Ilana Ron-Levey, who talked about global public opinion of the war.

A series of protests escalated into a full-blown revolution in Iran and became a turning point in the history of the Middle East. On February 11, 1979, the rule of the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ended, the Iranian monarchy was overthrown, and the country has since been referred to as the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the decades since, Iran has become a major player in the region, either through direct involvement in conflicts or through supporting or forging alliances with militant groups in Lebanon, Iraq and other countries. And to this day, Iran-linked or supported groups remain influential players – in the Israel-Gaza war, for example, helping to widen the conflict to other Arab countries. In this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, on the 45th anniversary of those seismic events, host Nada AlTaher reflects on the 1979 Iranian Revolution, exploring the complex legacy it left, and looking at its influence on today’s geopolitical tensions.

The US has stepped up its involvement in the Middle East conflict with a barrage of strikes against Iran-allied targets in various locations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. The strikes are in response to a deadly drone attack on American troops at a base in Jordan on January 28. These attacks have increased the tensions between the US and Iran-backed militias that started in October 2023 when Tehran-linked groups in Iraq launched drone attacks on a US base there. These militias and others like them have been responsible for at least 180 attacks on US targets since October 18. In this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the recent US air strikes, the impact of this intervention, and where this is all this heading.

The Israel-Gaza conflict is evolving into a complex web, transcending the borders of the region to the international community. The week started with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest court, making a historic ruling, ordering Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide against Gazans and allow vital aid into the Palestinian enclave. Meanwhile, another UN organisation took a hit, with the largest humanitarian entity operating in Gaza, UNRWA, seeing nine countries either withdrawing or planning on withdrawing their funding. This is expected to affect two million Palestinians who rely on the organisation for assistance.   Things further escalated when three US soldiers at a small military base on the Jordan-Syrian borders were killed in a drone strike that US President Joe Biden blamed on Iran-backed militants. A day later, the Syrian defence ministry said several Iranian advisers were killed in Damascus by Israel. In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at how all these issues tie in together, what each means for the region and the world, and what are their implications.

This week saw the biggest single loss of life for Israel in Gaza since the war began with 24 soldiers killed on January 22 in two separate attacks, bringing its total military deaths to more than 200 since October 7. Israel has called up about 360,000 reservists and tens of thousands of soldiers have been sent to fight inside Gaza, where more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in three months. Israel says that the city of Gaza is now completely encircled, with many Gaza residents now living in tents near the Rafah border. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher analyses Israel’s military moves.

Every year, political and business leaders from around the world come together in the quaint ski resort of Davos nestled in the Swiss Alps for dialogue on the pressing global issues, including not just economic challenges, but environmental concerns and political roadmaps. The 54th edition of the World Economic Forum took place while many countries in the Middle East are grappling with geopolitical tensions, from the Israel and Gaza conflict to Sudan. The annual meeting is also happening while the world is still adapting to the rapid advancements in generative AI. So, as Davos closes, what happened there this year and - what does it tell us about the direction the world is heading? In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Enas Refaei in Davos dissects the annual event with The National’s Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi and CNN’s Richard Quest.

Experts have long warned the violence in the Gaza Strip could spill over into a wider conflict. And those warnings have become more relevant and real today. The US and Britain launched overnight strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, these attacks being carried out from the air and sea in response to the Iran-backed militia's attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, affecting commercial shipping. The mission was a response to the rebel group’s nearly 30 attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea since November. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at how the Red Sea has become a battlefield and what impact that has had on global trade.

Gaza has borne the brunt of three months of war between Israel and Hamas. Mosques and churches have been destroyed. More than 200 out of Gaza’s 325 heritage sites, many of them centuries old, are gone. Israel’s weapons have killed, injured and maimed tens of thousands. Many of the wounded are being left to bleed while others are arrested, stripped and blindfolded. For Israel, the shocking and unprecedented attacks of October 7 stung hard – and the response has been constant with no sign of slowing down. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada Al Taher looks at the future of Israel’s war on Gaza.

2024 will be a big year in global politics. A slew of important general elections will be held across the developing world – in India, Pakistan and Indonesia, to name but three. Wars may continue to rage in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and elsewhere, driving millions of people deeper into poverty and displacement. Though there is some hope that in at least some of these conflicts, there remains space in which to find political solutions. But 2024 is set to be a year of high stakes in the West, too. Next summer will see parliamentary elections in the EU, and by the year’s end the US presidential election and a British general election. In fact, it could be the first time in more than 30 years that citizens of the English-speaking world’s two nuclear powers – Britain and America – pick their leaders in the same calendar year. On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy discusses what elections and war will mean for the western world’s political outlook in 2024.

For the past 11 weeks, life has been brutally disrupted in Gaza. 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority women and children, and over 50,000 wounded.   The ongoing humanitarian crisis has left more than a quarter of the population starving, according to the UN. The flow of aid into Gaza is far from sufficient, and the distribution process poses its own set of challenges, leaving those in need struggling for survival.   In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks into the complexities of aid delivery in Gaza, and the obstacles faced in getting essential aid from trucks into the hands of those who need it the most, speaking to representatives of the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund and the Norwegian Refugee Council, whose teams are on the ground in the strip.

The global stocktake, or what is now known as the UAE Consensus, is the first-ever climate deal to transition away from fossil fuel - and it has been unanimously approved by almost 200 nations in Dubai. This is significant, as no previous Cop text has mentioned moving away from oil and gas.   It took over two weeks of negotiations that intensified in the last days of the summit as several key players and countries were pushing for tougher language in the Cop28 agreement, to “phase-out” fossil fuels, not just transition away or phase down, as a choice of words.   Countries were locked in a series of meetings to break the deadlock on the issue of fossil fuels, and the heated negotiations pushed the summit to extend for one more day until all countries could agree on the language used in the agreement.   In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Sarah Forster unpacks the key outcomes of the conference and examines the areas where the international community agreed or disagreed.

It has been a week of big announcements at the Cop28 in Dubai – from action on the loss and damage fund to pledges to reduce methane gas emissions. But as the UN climate summit in Dubai enters in final days, much work is still to be done to help keep global temperature rises to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Heads of state and government, ministers, captains of industry, decision makers, experts, and advocates from more than 190 countries make up some of the 90,000 participants at Expo City Dubai. Every corner of the site is full of energy, discussions and panels on diverse topics, from policy commitments and climate finance to innovations and global.  On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Sarah Forster delves into the latest developments in climate action and global initiatives at Cop28.