Middle East

23 years ago, Israelis and Palestinians were talking about a two-state solution

5:09pm October 19, 2023

NPR's Scott Detrow talks with ambassador Dennis Ross about how close Palestinian leader Arafat and Israel's prime minister came to an agreement for a two-state solution.

Rep. McCaul wants more aid to Israel. Here's why

4:52pm October 19, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, who's also the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, ahead of Biden's speech urging the U.S. to send aid to Israel.

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An aerial view of the complex housing the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City after an explosion on the hospital grounds that killed hundreds, according to Palestinian officials. Unraveling the facts behind the explosion has been made difficult because of swarms of social media accounts spreading false information about the explosion.

World News

Fake accounts, old videos, and rumors fuel chaos around Gaza hospital explosion

4:48pm October 19, 2023

by Shannon Bond

Misleading and false information is muddying efforts to uncover who is responsible for the deadly blast that killed hundreds of people

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A road sign points the way to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which does not currently have an ambassador, hampering diplomatic efforts to calm violence between Israel and Hamas militants.

Senate acts on 'unprecedented' lack of U.S. ambassadors, spurred by Israel-Hamas war

4:26pm October 19, 2023

by Bill Chappell

The lack of a U.S. ambassador in Israel hobbles the Biden administration's ability to pursue its goals. The U.S. also lacks ambassadors in Egypt and other countries in the region.

Josh Paul resigned from the State Department on Wednesday, citing his objection to continued U.S. arms transfers to Israel.

Politics & Government

A former State Dept. official explains why he resigned over U.S. arms sent to Israel

4:01pm October 19, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Josh Paul tells NPR why the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas conflict pushed him to quit the bureau that oversees arms transfers to foreign nations. Experts say it's unlikely to change much.

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President Joe Biden, center left, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center right, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday.

World News

Here's what Biden's trip to Israel did and didn't achieve

3:58pm October 19, 2023

by Scott Neuman

The president's high-stakes visit served simultaneously to show the limits and the strengths of U.S. influence in the region, and the importance of America's longstanding relationship with Israel.

Hundreds of people gathered at the synagogue of the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., to show support for the victims of the surprise Hamas attack in southern Israel over the weekend.

Thousands of U.S. mourners grapple with losing those killed in Israel and Gaza

3:08pm October 19, 2023

Hundreds of people gathered in Washington, D.C., to show support for the victims of the Hamas attacks.

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Workers load the trucks with boxes after a planes carrying Turkish humanitarian aid for residents of the Gaza Strip landed at El Arish International Airport in Egypt, neighboring the enclave under intense Israeli blockade and bombardment on October 13, 2023.

Aid deal brings hope to hungry Gaza residents, but no food yet

3:07pm October 19, 2023

by Gabriel Spitzer

A deal struck Thursday is set to allow humanitarian aid parked in Egypt into Gaza. How much and how soon food would arrive remains uncertain.

Aid convoy trucks wait at the Rafah border crossing for clearance to enter Gaza on Thursday in North Sinai, Egypt. The aid convoy, organized by a group of Egyptian NGOs, set off Saturday from Cairo for the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah.

World News

State Department issues global travel warning for Americans, as Gaza awaits aid

2:56pm October 19, 2023

by Becky Sullivan

Aid trucks line up at Egypt-Gaza border as protests continue around the world. The State Department has warned Americans overseas to be on high alert for terrorist attacks in heavily visited areas.

A digital billboard in Tel Aviv welcomes U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel on Wednesday.

World News

Can the U.S. stand with both Israel and Ukraine?

12:36pm October 19, 2023

You know that old saying about being able to walk and chew gum at the same time? Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, is living it.

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