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Jordan's King Abdullah II met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House to discuss regional developments and Trump's plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, CNN reported on Feb. 11.

Jordan, U.S.: Jordan's King Pushes Back Against U.S. Plan To Relocate Palestinians

Israel

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its war in Gaza on Feb. 15 unless the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to release hostages per their ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported on Feb. 11.

Israel, Gaza: Netanyahu Threatens To Resume War if Hamas Does Not Release Hostages by Feb. 15

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree to end the controversial "pay for slay" system that has provided payments to the families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel or killed in attacks against Israel, Reuters reported on Feb. 10.

Palestinian Territories: Abbas Issued Decree To End 'Pay for Slay' System

The Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas announced that it would delay its next planned release of Israeli hostages from Feb. 15 "until further notice," accusing Israel of violating the terms of their ceasefire, CNN reported on Feb. 10.

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Delays Next Prisoner Release as Ceasefire Wobbles

Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the Gaza Strip between the north and south, and thereby completed one of the conditions of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the BBC reported Feb. 9.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: IDF Withdraws from Netzarim Corridor in Gaza

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

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

Yemen

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

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

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?

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.

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

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

Turkey

North Korea

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

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Elections

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Science & Technology

2024: A Geopolitical Review

Media

Podcasts

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

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.

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

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

Jordan, U.S.: Jordan's King Pushes Back Against U.S. Plan To Relocate Palestinians

Israel, Gaza: Netanyahu Threatens To Resume War if Hamas Does Not Release Hostages by Feb. 15

Palestinian Territories: Abbas Issued Decree To End 'Pay for Slay' System

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Delays Next Prisoner Release as Ceasefire Wobbles

Israel, Palestinian Territories: IDF Withdraws from Netzarim Corridor in Gaza

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

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

Yemen: Houthis To Attack Only Israeli-Linked Vessels

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