United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

The United States announced that it had begun constructing a temporary pier in Gaza to support the influx and distribution of humanitarian aid, adding that the pier will likely begin operations in early May with the use of third-country lorry drivers and the Israel Defense Forces providing security, The National reported on April 25.

U.S., Israel: Construction Begins on Temporary U.S. Humanitarian Pier in Gaza

Yemen

Economics

U.S.-led coalition forces in the Red Sea engaged an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels over the Gulf of Aden toward a U.S. flagged, owned and operated ship on April 24, AP reported on April 25.

Yemen: More Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea Indicate Persistent Threat to Shipping Routes

Politics

Hamas official and Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalil al-Hayya said Hamas would consider transforming into a disarmed political party in exchange for a Palestinian state, while also offering a five-year truce with Israel as a presage to such a process, AP reported on April 25. 

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Official Suggests Transforming Into a Political Party in Exchange for a Palestinian State

Satellite photos showed undetermined groups constructing tents around the Gaza Strip's Israeli-controlled southern city of Khan Younis, likely in preparation for a new wave of civilian evacuations ahead of Israel's attack on the nearby city of Rafah, AP reported on April 23.

Israel, Gaza: Satellite Photos Reveal Likely Preparations for Rafah Offensive

Oman

Qatar

The Palestinian militant group Hamas contacted Oman and an unnamed regional country about relocating its political leaders from Doha, Qatar, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 20.

Qatar: Hamas Reportedly Looking To Relocate Political Bureau

Israeli military forces killed at least fourteen Palestinians, including militants, during raids in the West Bank, including in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the flashpoint city of Tulkarem, Reuters reported on April 20.

West Bank: Israel Expands Military Operations in West Bank

The United States will sanction Israel's ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda battalion during the week of April 22 over human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported on April 22.

Israel, U.S.: Washington To Sanction Israeli Military Units Over Human Rights Abuses

The United States vetoed a proposal in the U.N. Security Council to grant the Palestinian Territories full membership in the United Nations, AP reported on April 18.

U.S., Israel, Palestinian Territories: U.S. Vetoes Bid for Full Palestinian Membership in U.N.

Assessments

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Syria

The Jordanian flag. Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

U.S.-Iran Relations

Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

Jordan's Alignment With Israel Will Put It in Iran's Crosshairs

Lebanon

Iran's large missile and drone attack will prompt an Israeli retaliation that will focus on reestablishing deterrence and preventing future similar attacks on Israel, but in doing so, Israel risks expanding the conflict, further sinking the region into turmoil and possibly dragging in the United States.

How Israel Might Respond to the Iranian Attack

Brazil

Colombia

China

Germany

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) April 12 in Dausa, India.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Indian Elections, Scholz Goes to China

Snapshots

Palestinians walk past damaged buildings in Khan Yunis on April 8, 2024, after Israel pulled its ground forces out of the southern Gaza Strip. 

Israel is shifting to smaller, more targeted operations, but its apparent lack of a long-term governance plan for Gaza will enable Hamas to maintain influence there without fully appeasing Israel's international allies.

The Implications of Israel's Updated Gaza Strategy

Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani speaks during a press conference alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 13, 2023. 

As Hamas loses control of Gaza, Qatar's political incentives for hosting the group's political leaders will decrease, which will likely see Doha align its Palestine policies with the other GCC members.

How Will the Gaza War Impact Qatar’s Foreign Policy and Its Ties to Hamas?

Europe

Portugal

Russia

Early voters line up March 3, 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal. Portuguese voters head to the polls March 10 in what opinion polls suggest will be a tight race between the incumbent Socialist Party and the Democratic Alliance coalition of center-right parties.

Cyber

The Weekly Rundown: Portugal's Election, Ramadan Begins With No Gaza Cease-fire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Senegal

Egypt

Taiwan

Displaced Palestinians camp near the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Feb. 16, 2024, in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Egypt will continue to prepare a contingency plan in case Palestinians cross the Egypt-Gaza border amid growing signs that the Rafah offensive could start as early as this week.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Egypt Plans for a Palestinian Influx, African Union Heads of State Meet

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing over Khan Yunis in the distance following an Israeli bombardment on the southern Gaza Strip on Feb. 14, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israel's looming offensive in the southern Gazan city would end this phase of the war, but unless it also reaches a diplomatic breakthrough with Hamas, pro-Palestinian forces will keep attacking U.S. and Israeli interests in the region.

What To Watch for As Israel Advances Into Rafah

Indonesia

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with its Crew Dragon capsule launches from Launch Complex 39A during Axiom's third private mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 18, 2024.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: A Vote in Indonesia, U.S.-Iraq Military Negotiations and a U.S. Moon Mission

Columns

On Geopolitics

A Palestinian demonstrator waves a flag during confrontations with Israeli troops Jan. 6, 2023, in the West Bank village of Kfar Qaddum, near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim. A lack of progress toward a Palestinian state guarantees a resurgence of violence even as Israel establishes a new security paradigm in Gaza. 

A lack of progress toward a Palestinian state guarantees a resurgence of violence even as Israel establishes a new security paradigm in Gaza. 

The Distant Prospect of a Palestinian State

El Salvador

Pakistan

A picture taken from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip shows smoke rising over buildings in Khan Yunis during an Israeli bombardment on Feb. 2, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: A Potential Gaza Cease-Fire, Elections in Pakistan and El Salvador

Media

Podcasts

What can the conflict's history tell us about likely scenarios?

Essential Geopolitics: Key Structures Behind the Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Palestinian Territories comprise two sections of the former mandate of Palestine: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The two small areas are separated from one another by Israel, which controls most of their frontiers. Jordan borders the West Bank on the east, while Egypt lies to the west of the Gaza Strip. The West Bank is a hilly, warm country that enjoys sufficient rainfall to support agriculture, but because the Gaza Strip receives little precipitation due to its location next to the dry Sinai Desert, its economy has traditionally relied on fishing and trade. The territories' only natural border is the Jordan River on the eastern edge of the West Bank.    The Palestinian Territories lack a clear demographic core, although the lands have a symbolic heart: the city of Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as their capital.    The Palestinian Territories evolved over time. After Israel gained its independence in 1948, Jordan annexed the West Bank while Egypt took control of Gaza. After the Six Day War in 1967, however, Israel occupied both territories. The occupation strengthened Palestinian identity, and members of the community eventually came to regard Gaza and the West Bank as components of a united proto-state.      But due to their size and domination by Israel, the Palestinian Territories have not succeeded in achieving state status. The territories, meanwhile, are not only divided geographically but also politically, as the Islamist party Hamas rules Gaza, while the more nationalist and secularist Fatah controls the West Bank. In addition to overcoming the lack of unity, the Palestinian Territories must convince Israel's allies to allow the entity to gain autonomy and eventually achieve independence. Ultimately, internal political divisions and the need to pursue diplomacy to become a sovereign state represent the core geographic challenges for the Palestinian Territories.  

Israel's Survival Strategy

The Pulse of Political Islam

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Israel: Construction Begins on Temporary U.S. Humanitarian Pier in Gaza

Yemen: More Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea Indicate Persistent Threat to Shipping Routes

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Official Suggests Transforming Into a Political Party in Exchange for a Palestinian State

Israel, Gaza: Satellite Photos Reveal Likely Preparations for Rafah Offensive

Qatar: Hamas Reportedly Looking To Relocate Political Bureau

West Bank: Israel Expands Military Operations in West Bank

Israel, U.S.: Washington To Sanction Israeli Military Units Over Human Rights Abuses

U.S., Israel, Palestinian Territories: U.S. Vetoes Bid for Full Palestinian Membership in U.N.

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