#Middle East

Following a ceasefire in Gaza, the city of Bethlehem is resuming its full Christmas celebrations for the first time in two years, signaling a key step toward normalcy.

An Israeli drone strike killed two people in eastern Lebanon, escalating tensions despite a US-brokered ceasefire. The attack highlights the fragility of ongoing peace talks as disarmament deadlines loom.

Iran rejects IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities bombed by the U.S. in June, demanding the UN watchdog first define "post-war conditions." The move escalates tensions as the legal status of the JCPOA is also contested at the UN.

Following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, Jewish and Arab religious leaders in Israel have started meeting to prevent a repeat of the 2021 internal violence, according to NPR.

On Dec 24, 2025, Israel's Defence Minister declared an intent for a permanent military presence in Gaza, sending shockwaves globally. An analysis of the impact on the two-state solution and Middle East peace.

Syria's new foreign and defence ministers met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow to deepen military cooperation, focusing on modernizing the Syrian army in the post-Assad era.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared the military will never fully withdraw from Gaza, planning new army outposts in defiance of a US-backed peace plan signed in October. The move challenges the fragile ceasefire and signals a push for settlement expansion.

On December 23, 2025, Israeli forces conducted a large-scale raid in Palestinian neighborhoods north of East Jerusalem, demolishing shops and clashing with residents. At least three injuries were reported.

Deadly clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led SDF in Aleppo have been followed by a temporary ceasefire agreement. The incident highlights the fragile power dynamics in northern Syria.

Deadly clashes have erupted in Aleppo, Syria, between the Russian-backed Syrian army and the US-supported, Kurdish-led SDF. The incident raises fears of geopolitical escalation and deepens the proxy dynamics of the Syrian war.

Violence flared in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers clashed with Palestinian residents, leading to multiple injuries and property damage amid rising regional tensions.

Deadly clashes have erupted in Aleppo between the Syrian army and Kurdish-led SDF forces, threatening to open a new front in the Syrian civil war. Explore the background, geopolitical stakes, and risk of escalation.