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The Israeli air force struck a pair of targets deep inside Lebanon that it claimed were Hezbollah weapons storage sites set up in violation of the November 2024 ceasefire, although both strikes occurred in areas outside Israel's demanded disarmament zone, The Times of Israel reported on Feb. 7.

Israel, Lebanon: Hezbollah Struggles Against Israeli Strikes, U.S. 'Red Line'

Economics

In an executive order, U.S. President Donald Trump authorized economic and travel sanctions on individuals and their families working on International Criminal Court, or ICC, investigations against the United States and key allies, opening up the possibility of secondary sanctions, Reuters reported on Feb. 7.

U.S.: Trump Executive Order Authorizes ICC Sanctions

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his proposal to resettle Palestinians outside Gaza and added that the United States would "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip, suggesting the United States would develop it into the "Riviera of the Middle East" during a press conference following his Feb. 4 meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Al Jazeera reported on Feb. 5. 

U.S., Israel, Gaza: Trump Adds Development To Resettlement Plan for Gaza

Saudi Arabia

In an early morning statement, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry reiterated its long-standing demand for a Palestinian state established on the pre-1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital before the kingdom would consider normalizing relations with Israel, The Times of Israel reported on Feb. 5.

Israel, Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Rebuffs Whispers of Impending Normalization

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Israeli military reportedly blew up around 20 buildings in the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp as part of its two-week military operations targeting Palestinian militants and weapons stockpiles in the area that began on Jan. 21, Reuters reported on Feb. 2.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israeli Military Operations Continue in the West Bank

The United States said the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire that stopped the war between Hezbollah and Israel will remain effective until Feb. 18, Reuters reported on Jan. 26. 

Lebanon, Israel: Ceasefire Agreement Between Lebanon and Israel To Continue Until Feb. 18

Yemen

U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi movement as a "foreign terrorist organization," the White House said on Jan. 22.

U.S., Yemen: Trump Administration Redesignates Houthis as 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they would limit attacks on shipping in the Red Sea to Israeli-linked vessels if the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was upheld, although the group said it could resume broader attacks if the United States, the United Kingdom or Israel committed an "event of aggression," Reuters reported on Jan. 20.

Yemen: Houthis To Attack Only Israeli-Linked Vessels

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The lobby of the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development is seen on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Social Issues

Cuts to U.S.-funded humanitarian and development programs could worsen global health outcomes, destabilize security environments, accelerate democratic backsliding, and create opportunities for rival powers to expand their influence.

The Global Implications of Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts

Rwanda

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Trucks wait to enter United States on Nov. 26, 2024, at the Otay crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump's Tariffs, Congo Braces for More Fighting in the East

Columns

On Geopolitics

Turkey

Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa addresses a crowd at a mosque in Damascus on Dec. 8, 2024.

While Syrians will drive their country's destiny, external influence from regional and global powers could determine what kind of government replaces the deposed Assad regime.

Syria's Future: Islamist Republic, Turkish Client State, or Jihadist Stronghold?

Egypt

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, Gaza City, on Jan. 28, 2025, following the Hamas-Israel ceasefire.

Egypt and Jordan will reject Trump's current proposal to resettle over a million Palestinians from Gaza to their territories due to fears of stoking domestic unrest, but they will likely permit smaller, gradual resettlements via illegal smuggling routes.

Trump Wants Egypt and Jordan To Take in Palestinians From Gaza. Will They Do It?

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Guatemala

Panama

Hungary

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette Rubio arrive at the State Department in Washington, D.C., to speak to employees on Jan. 21, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Expires, Rubio Tours Latin America

A Lebanese flag painted on a damaged building in a village in southern Lebanon is seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 23, 2025. 

Political and security imperatives will deter Israel from fully withdrawing from southern Lebanon by the Jan. 26 deadline outlined in its ceasefire with Hezbollah, which will risk provoking renewed Hezbollah attacks.

The Risks of a Delayed Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon

Qatar

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani holds a press conference in Doha on Jan. 15, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Despite Qatar's success in getting Hamas to accept a ceasefire with Israel, Trump will remain critical of Doha's support for Islamist movements in the region.

For Qatar, the Gaza Ceasefire Will Ease U.S. Pressure -- For Now

Germany

France

The West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 17 in Washington. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

The Weekly Rundown: The Gaza Ceasefire, Trump's Inauguration

A smoke plume rises above destroyed buildings in northern Gaza on Jan. 13, 2025.

The truce will improve Israel's ties with Lebanon and Egypt, but eventual violations could reignite regional tensions, as could Israel's intensified counter-insurgency operations in the West Bank.

The Regional Implications of the Gaza Ceasefire

People celebrate while watching news coverage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Jan. 15, 2025.

While it may de-escalate the current war, the deal does not address all drivers of conflict between Hamas and Israel, nor does it outline a post-war strategy for Gaza, portending a gradual return to violence.

A Ceasefire Eases the Gaza War, but Leaves Embers To Ignite the Next One

Iran

Cyber

Nation-states' growing use of hacktivist personas to obfuscate responsibility will increasingly enable them to attack targets they would otherwise avoid and spread propaganda.

Hacktivism Offers Plausible Deniability for State-Backed Cyber Actors

Angola

Cote d'Ivoire

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World map on a dark digital background representing global communication and global finances.

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2025 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2025

Israel lives under difficult geopolitical circumstances. A small country with limited resources and surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors, Israel survives by allying with powers that do have the resources to manage the balance of power in the Middle East — namely, the United States. Its geographic position also means that Israel must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors by quiet collaboration, by exploiting divisions, and by parlaying its technological and economic advantages into create strategic dependencies. To navigate all the challenges presented by the Middle East, Israel will remain agile in its diplomacy and, when the situation warrants, steadfast in its pre-emptive strikes, its covert activities and its economic relationships.

Israel's Survival Strategy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel, Lebanon: Hezbollah Struggles Against Israeli Strikes, U.S. 'Red Line'

U.S.: Trump Executive Order Authorizes ICC Sanctions

U.S., Israel, Gaza: Trump Adds Development To Resettlement Plan for Gaza

Israel, Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Rebuffs Whispers of Impending Normalization

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israeli Military Operations Continue in the West Bank

Lebanon, Israel: Ceasefire Agreement Between Lebanon and Israel To Continue Until Feb. 18

U.S., Yemen: Trump Administration Redesignates Houthis as 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'

Yemen: Houthis To Attack Only Israeli-Linked Vessels

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