Global Outlook

  Israel has firmly declared that it will not withdraw its forces from the Gaza-Egypt border , a crucial condition outlined in the second phase of a truce with Hamas. Despite participating in ongoing ceasefire negotiations, an Israeli source made it clear: “We will not exit the Philadelphi Corridor.” This corridor, a 14-kilometer (8-mile) strip along the border, remains a point of contention as Israel insists it will not allow Hamas fighters to regain access to weapons through smuggling. This announcement sets a tense backdrop just days before the first phase of the Israel-Hamas hostage-ceasefire agreement is set to expire. Hamas quickly responded, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. In a statement, Hamas asserted that Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the border was “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, and an attempt to fabricate excuses to obstruct the ceasefire agreement and cause it to fail.” The second phase of the ceasefire was intended to involve ...

  Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa from Syria has initiated a national dialogue in Damascus which includes promised democratic transformation and the formation of a transitional justice committee. The dialogue serves as a historically significant moment according to al-Sharaa and his HTS-led government for leading Syria to political transformation after the Assad downfall followed by civil war years. The high aspirations of the gathering are overshadowed by doubts about its usefulness because it was implemented too quickly while keeping attendance narrow. The speech by Al-Sharaa appealed for national solidarity by asking Syrians to unite against the injuries caused by the previous political order as he committed to controlling all state weapons to weaken the power of armed organizations. The compressed work sessions about transitional justice and constitutional reform and institutional reconstruction throughout one single day received strong criticism from both national and international...

  In a significant shift, the European Union has announced the easing of sanctions on Syria’s energy, transport, and banking sectors. This decision, approved during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, aims to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The sanctions were originally imposed to target al-Assad’s regime during the devastating civil war that erupted in 2011. However, with new leadership in Damascus, the EU now seeks to facilitate engagement with Syria's people and businesses, hoping to boost key economic areas and pave the way for much-needed humanitarian aid and rebuilding initiatives. Syria’s new leaders have been pressing the West to lift the sanctions, which have long crippled the nation’s economy. While the EU has been cautious, reluctant to act without clear signals of an inclusive transition from Damascus, this move suggests a tentative shift in stance. The recent decision includes suspending sanctions on energy and t...

  The Sudanese political environment became complicated because military forces united with Islamic movements through the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood. The political alliance between these entities has created substantial changes within national governance and social systems of the country. The Sudanese Army and the Islamic Movement The Sudanese army preserves significant bonds with Islamic organizations with special focus on the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood. Through their relationship the Islamist ideologies found their way into military structures which impacts strategic choices as well as command decisions. Military reports show that ex-intelligence staff linked to Islamism now serve within the army to strengthen this relationship further. The Influence in Al Jazirah State The activities of Sudan's Islamic movements have found their main base within Al Jazirah State. Numerous training camps in the region exist because of the Popular Resistance Forces (PRF) an allied civilian milit...

  The current emergence of Islamist groups in Syria most especially Hayat Tahir al-Sham has raised damaging discourses concerning their goals as well as the future of Syria. One of them is their operational topping in the seizing of state institutions, which if achieved, will really alter the socio-political landscape of the Syria in a big way. New policies as the reform of the education system show how HTS tries to exercise control over institutions. The changes in curriculum proposed are eradicating all references to Assad’s regime, changing the religious material, and erasing concepts like evolution. Opponents state that these changes insert an Islamists’ attributes, which might completely eliminate Syrian secular learning legacy and make the divides in society wider. The Islamists continue with the appointment of people with extremists linkages to other strategic governmental positions, the above strategies confirm. For example, the appointment of Shadi al-Waisi, who used to be...