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Israel-Hamas Conflict

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The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said around 155,000 Palestinians, or about 6% of the total population, have been displaced or killed in the course of the Israel-Hamas war since October 2023, Reuters reported on Jan. 1. 

Gaza, Israel: New Data on Gaza's Sinking Population Likely To Fuel Genocide Claims

Hamas conceded to two major Israeli demands in ceasefire negotiations that would enable the Israeli military to remain in Gaza temporarily after the ceasefire takes effect, and Hamas also provided a list of hostages that it would release under the ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 11. 

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Concedes to Two Major Israeli Demands in Latest Ceasefire Proposal

United States

Qatar

Steve Witkoff, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's incoming special envoy to the Middle East, held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani separately in late November in a push for a Gaza ceasefire ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, Reuters reported Dec. 4.

U.S., Israel, Qatar, Palestinian Territories: Incoming Trump Middle East Envoy Pushes for Gaza Ceasefire

The rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a committee of 12-15 politically independent technocrats to govern the Gaza Strip once the Israel-Hamas war ends, The Guardian reported on Dec. 3 following talks between the two groups in Egypt. 

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas and Fatah Agree To Form Committee to Run Post-War Gaza

A U.S.-Israel panel will discuss civilian harm during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in early December, AP reported on Nov. 19.

U.S., Israel: U.S.-Israel Panel on Civilian Harm To Convene in December

Saudi Arabia

Nominated U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview with Israeli Army Radio that the United States could back an Israeli annexation of the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported on Nov. 13.

Israel, U.S.: Incoming Trump Administration May Back Israeli Annexation of West Bank

The U.S. State Department said it would not institute an arms cut-off to Israeli military units accused of human rights abuses, NBC News reported on Nov. 12. 

U.S., Israel: State Department Will Not Cut Off Arms Deliveries to Israel

Qatar suspended its role as a mediator in negotiations between Hamas and Israel due to a lack of progress in recent rounds, though it held open the possibility to resume its role if there was a willingness to end the war, CNN reported Nov. 9.

Qatar, Israel, Palestinian Territories: Doha Suspends Mediation Efforts, Reportedly Expels Hamas

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As 2025 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five events as measured by geopolitical impact.

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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2024: A Geopolitical Review

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What can Trump's nominees for positions in Middle Eastern diplomacy tell us about his approach to the region?

Essential Geopolitics: U.S.-Middle East Relations Under a Second Trump Term

Iraq

A child tapes a stick holding a Hamas flag during a demonstration in support of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Jan. 12, 2024. 

Hamas' impending expulsion from Qatar will force the group to either relocate its Politburo or disperse its senior leaders across multiple countries, either of which would carry challenges.

With Its Welcome Worn Out in Qatar, Hamas Seeks a New Home Base

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks to journalists in Riyadh before the first meeting of Saudi Arabia's new global alliance to push for Palestinian statehood on Oct. 30, 2024. 

Energy

Protracted regional conflicts risk undermining the kingdom's efforts to diversify its oil-reliant economy, normalize ties with Israel, and balance between Iran and its opponents. 

Saudi Arabia's Regional Strategy, Part 1: Balancing Between Iran and Its Rivals

Japan

Sri Lanka

A ballot is cast in front of the Japanese flag. On Nov. 11, the country will select a prime minister and convene an extraordinary session of its bicameral Diet.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Selects a Prime Minister, Trump's Shadow Looms Over COP29

A billboard congratulating Donald Trump on his win in the U.S. presidential election is seen in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Nov. 7, 2024.

The return of a more like-minded U.S. president will embolden far-right members of Israel's government to advance their domestic and foreign agendas.

Israel's Far-Right Welcomes Trump's Return to the White House

What does a Trump victory mean for the U.S. economy?

Essential Geopolitics: The Economic Outlook for the U.S.

What is the significance of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's killing, and what role did he play in the organization?

Essential Geopolitics: The Trajectory of the Israel-Hamas War

Chile

Uruguay

United Kingdom

Georgia

Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

People are reflected in a window displaying a poster of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Palestinian camp of Bourj al-Barajneh on Aug. 8, 2024, in Beirut, Lebanon. 

Sinwar's assassination sets Hamas on the path of succession once more, opening the door to policy change and factionalism.

What Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar's Death Means for the Gaza War

Lebanon

A general view shows a session at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on March 20, 2023. 

To keep all of its coalition members happy, Israel's government will avoid specifying its conditions for a victory in Gaza and Lebanon, setting the stage for open-ended military campaigns that could embolden extremist Jewish settlers.

The Risks of Israel's Open-Ended Policies in Gaza and Lebanon

Columns

On Geopolitics

Yemen

An Israeli tank Aug. 7, 2024, in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza Strip. Washington may change the regional dynamics substantially before the next Oct. 7; if not, we will likely be marking a second anniversary of regional conflict next year. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

Washington may change the regional dynamics substantially before the next Oct. 7; if not, we will likely be marking a second anniversary of regional conflict next year.

Will War in the Middle East Last Another Year?

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.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Gaza, Israel: New Data on Gaza's Sinking Population Likely To Fuel Genocide Claims

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Concedes to Two Major Israeli Demands in Latest Ceasefire Proposal

U.S., Israel, Qatar, Palestinian Territories: Incoming Trump Middle East Envoy Pushes for Gaza Ceasefire

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas and Fatah Agree To Form Committee to Run Post-War Gaza

U.S., Israel: U.S.-Israel Panel on Civilian Harm To Convene in December

Israel, U.S.: Incoming Trump Administration May Back Israeli Annexation of West Bank

U.S., Israel: State Department Will Not Cut Off Arms Deliveries to Israel

Qatar, Israel, Palestinian Territories: Doha Suspends Mediation Efforts, Reportedly Expels Hamas

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