Policy Analysis

A panel of experts discuss the status of the crisis after nearly two weeks of fighting, focusing on President Biden’s visit, the contours of humanitarian assistance, ongoing de-escalation efforts, and more.

Even amid the fighting in Gaza, all actors should take steps to repair Palestinian governance instead of leaving a vacuum for radical remnants to fill.

Navigating the confusing Iraqi electoral landscape is just one of many obstacles in the way of reformers, but if emerging political reformist players can form a unified front, put forth a concrete political platform, and resist being coopted by ruling powers, then there is a real possibility for substantive political change in the upcoming elections.

As Russian forces make another push for Ukraine’s heartland, Western officials need to recognize the connections between the Gaza crisis and Moscow’s wider strategic goals.

Despite the canceled visit to Amman, President Biden should keep King Abdullah front and center in any efforts to ease humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Iran's proxies undertook two drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, and the related social media operations suggest that Iran's Qods Force played a coordinating function.

Solving Iraq’s demographic crisis will require immediate and comprehensive action at both the state and individual level. Without these solutions, we risk extensively harming our future generations.

It’s not too early to think about the “day after” the war—even preliminary planning to create an interim administration will help clarify objectives for Israel’s leaders, sustain U.S. support, provide a more positive alternative future for Palestinians, and give Arab allies a rationale to play a more constructive role.

A former senior IDF official joins Lebanese and U.S. experts to discuss whether additional fronts are poised to open in the north, and what Washington is doing to avert this risk.

Given its willingness to dramatically change targets and tactics, the group likely aims to halt the recent advance of Arab-Israeli normalization and rouse other actors into joining the fight.

The Iraqi "resistance" is using language that previously presaged attacks on U.S. targets, whether sincerely or as a supportive bluff amid the latest Hamas-Israel crisis.

In its scope, depravity, and national reach, the Hamas assault was a much greater shock to Israelis, and their response should be viewed through that lens.

The group’s latest actions indicate that its strategy for the Gaza war has not changed: using limited and deniable border escalation to distract Israel without fully entering the conflict (for now).

Iraq's "resistance" militias all rhetorically supported the attack on Israel, but with interesting differences: Badr threatened Americans, while others seemed to downplay potential involvement.

The United States must underscore the risks that such action would incur and incentivize Tehran to rein in its proxies and partners.

Veteran U.S., Palestinian, and Israeli experts and policy practitioners explore the broader strategic repercussions of the unfolding war, as well as the factors that enabled Hamas to reach its current level of malign regional influence.

The differences and parallels between urban battlefield circumstances in Gaza, Iraq, and Syria give U.S. policymakers a sobering but clear view of what exactly they will be committing to in supporting Israel’s ground campaign.

The depth of the president’s commitment greatly impressed Israelis, though a protracted Gaza war could test sentiments on both sides.

The October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel represent a turning point that should bring home oft-overlooked realities about the Middle East and compel U.S. policymakers to rethink preconceptions about the region and America's role and interests in it.

A closer look at the political and security dilemmas that Arab leaders will face as the Hamas-Israel war intensifies.