Global Outlook

  The skies over Sanaa turned black as Israeli airstrikes obliterated Yemen’s last operational passenger plane, leaving the war-torn nation with no civilian air travel. Footage shared by Huthi-run Al-Masirah TV showed thick smoke engulfing the Yemenia Airways aircraft, marking yet another escalation in the shadow war between Israel and Yemen’s Huthi rebels. The attack, which also targeted the airport runway, has effectively grounded all commercial flights, dealing a crushing blow to Yemen’s already crippled aviation sector. With the airport having just resumed limited services after a previous Israeli strike destroyed six planes, this latest assault raises urgent questions about the future of Yemen’s connectivity with the outside world. The Huthi rebels, who control Sanaa, have framed the attack as an act of Israeli aggression, while Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, justified the strike as retaliation for Huthi missile launches toward Israel. Just a day before the airstrike,...

  The latest Hamas-backed hostage deal has been flatly rejected by Israel, marking another setback in the ongoing Gaza conflict.  The proposal, delivered through backchannel negotiations involving Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, offered the release of five living Israeli hostages in exchange for major concessions — including an Israeli military withdrawal, expanded humanitarian aid, and indirect U.S. recognition of Hamas. But Israeli officials swiftly dismissed the plan as unrealistic, calling it a non-starter for any “responsible government.” Sources reveal that the deal was a modified version of the so-called “Witkoff outline,” a framework proposed by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The revised terms extended the ceasefire to 70 days and included the phased return of both living and deceased hostages. However, Israel deemed the conditions unacceptable, with one senior official stating that Hamas showed “no genuine willingness” to negotiate in good fait...

In a move that has drawn widespread condemnation, Israeli forces have re-arrested several Palestinians who were previously released under a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.  This action raises serious questions about the integrity of such agreements and the broader implications for peace efforts in the region. The re-arrests occurred in the occupied West Bank, with Israeli troops detaining individuals in areas like Qalqilya and Ramallah. Among those re-arrested is Saed al-Fayed, a 51-year-old who had spent 23 years in Israeli prisons before his release. His family reported that soldiers entered their home at dawn, handcuffed him, and took him away without explanation. Similarly, in Birzeit, Israeli forces detained Salama al-Qatawi, who had been planning to resume his career in engineering and start a family. These re-arrests are not isolated incidents. Reports indicate that Israeli authorities have re-arrested at least 13 Palestinians who were freed under the February agreement, ...

  As nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran teeter on the edge of collapse, Israel appears poised to take matters into its own hands. Recent intelligence reports indicate that Israel is preparing for a potential military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a move that could derail diplomatic efforts and escalate tensions in the Middle East. The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has long viewed Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat, and with Iran’s uranium enrichment reaching unprecedented levels, the window for diplomatic resolution is rapidly closing. The roots of Israel’s aggressive posture can be traced back to the Begin Doctrine, established in 1981, which asserts Israel’s right to preemptively strike against nations developing weapons of mass destruction that could threaten its existence. This doctrine has been invoked in past actions, such as the 1981 bombing of Iraq’s Osirak reactor and the 2007 strike on Syria’s nucle...

  President Trump is privately fuming over the Gaza war, urging Netanyahu to “wrap it up” as images of Palestinian suffering and stalled diplomacy test U.S.-Israel relations. The Gaza conflict has become a growing thorn in President Trump’s side, with White House officials revealing his mounting frustration over Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to de-escalate. Trump, who has long positioned himself as Israel’s staunchest ally, is now pressing the Israeli prime minister behind the scenes to end the war, fearing it could derail his broader Middle East ambitions. According to two senior officials, Trump was particularly disturbed by harrowing images of Palestinian children caught in the crossfire, leading him to demand immediate humanitarian relief and a faster resolution to the crisis. Despite Trump’s private urgings, Netanyahu appears unmoved, expanding military operations in Gaza rather than winding them down. The disconnect has led to rare public tension between the two leaders, with ...

  As Israeli forces intensify their offensive, Netanyahu vows total control of Gaza — but the humanitarian crisis is reaching a breaking point. Will the world stand by and watch? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel will “take control of all” of the Gaza Strip, signaling an unprecedented escalation in the ongoing conflict. In a video posted to Telegram, Netanyahu emphasized that military operations are advancing rapidly, with no intention of backing down. “The fighting is intense, and we are making progress,” he said, framing the offensive as necessary for Israel’s long-term security. But as international pressure mounts, his government is walking a tightrope between military dominance and global condemnation. The Israeli military has ordered mass evacuations in southern Gaza, warning residents of Khan Yunis and surrounding areas to flee immediately ahead of a devastating assault. Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee described the coming attack as ...

  As Donald Trump heads to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, Israeli officials are scrambling to understand where they stand in Washington’s shifting priorities.  The US president’s decision to bypass Israel on his Middle East trip — while negotiating prisoner releases and ceasefire deals without Israeli involvement — has sent shockwaves through Tel Aviv. With Trump abruptly halting US airstrikes against Houthi rebels and dropping Saudi-Israel normalization demands, many in Israel fear they are no longer America’s top ally in the region. The recent US-brokered deal to free American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, negotiated directly with Hamas and excluding Israel, has particularly stung Netanyahu’s government. Israeli officials publicly downplayed the move, but behind closed doors, there is growing frustration. The agreement not only sidelined Israel but also signaled that Washington is willing to engage with Hamas — a group Israel considers a terrorist organization — without...

  As Israel’s war on Gaza rages, a new front opens — Yemen just launched another missile at Israel. Did it hit its target, or is this a warning of worse to come? The Middle East is teetering on the edge of a wider conflict after Israeli media reported a new missile strike launched from Yemen. The attack, which reportedly failed to reach its target, underscores the growing regional backlash against Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza. Public broadcaster KAN confirmed the missile was intercepted or fell short, but the lack of an official Israeli military statement leaves room for speculation. Is this a sign of Israel’s robust defenses, or is the threat from Yemen’s Houthis more serious than officials admit? Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November in solidarity with Gaza, have now taken direct aim at Israel. This latest strike follows their claim that Israeli warplanes bombed Hudaydah province just a day earlier. The Houthis have made it cl...

  The US has unveiled a controversial plan to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza through private companies, bypassing traditional UN channels.  Ambassador Mike Huckabee confirmed that distribution centers, guarded by private security, will provide food and supplies to over a million Palestinians. While the US claims this will prevent Hamas from diverting aid, the UN has refused to participate, calling the scheme a violation of humanitarian principles. With Gaza’s famine crisis worsening, this move could deepen suffering rather than alleviate it. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has outright rejected the plan, arguing it “weaponizes” aid by placing it under a militarized framework. Jens Laerke, an OCHA spokesman, stated that the proposal clashes with the core values of neutral humanitarian work. Meanwhile, Gaza’s situation grows more dire — food prices have skyrocketed, community kitchens are shutting down, and over 90% of the population is disp...