Middle East

World News

'Complete demolition of everything': Palestinian politician on the violence in Gaza

5:21pm October 13, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Mustafa Barghouti, a doctor and leader of the the Palestinian National Initiative, about the humanitarian and political crisis in Gaza.

Family, friends talk about the Americans killed or missing in Israel-Hamas conflict

5:00pm October 13, 2023

by Laurel Wamsley

As the fighting intensifies between Israel and Hamas militants, at least 24 Americans have died in the conflict. Others are missing. We speak to some of the family members and friends.

Israel ordered Gazans to evacuate. They have nowhere to go

4:43pm October 13, 2023

The Israeli military told 1 million to move to southern Gaza as a possible ground invasion looms. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with ICRC spokesperson Imene Trabelsi about the reality of Gazans.

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A rabbi and imam on how they're counseling their communities

4:43pm October 13, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Imam Mohamed Herbert in Kansas and Rabbi Sharon Brous in Los Angeles about how they're counseling their congregations during the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

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Israeli tanks are stationed near the border with Lebanon on Wednesday. A plurality of Americans say Israel's response to a deadly attack by Hamas has been about right.

Americans strongly support Israel, but there are generational and racial divides

4:43pm October 13, 2023

by Domenico Montanaro

In a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, public opinion about Israel in its war with Hamas is supportive, though the role of the U.S. in the region isn't as clear as Biden faces sharp disapproval.

People injured from Israeli air strikes on Oct. 12 wait outside a hospital to be treated. The sheer volume of medical need is overwhelming the small and exhausted number of staff at Gaza's medical facilities, says Dr. Mohammad Mattar, head of the radiology department at Al Shifa Hospital, the Gaza Strip's largest medical complex.

Doctors in Gaza describe the war's devastating impact on health care — and civilians

4:38pm October 13, 2023

by Ari Daniel

After the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas militants, Israel has begun air strikes on Gaza. The World Health Organization warns that the health system there is at a breaking point.

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Passengers wait in line to enter a flight to Israel at the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens, Greece, on Tuesday.

Visitors are scrambling to leave Israel and Gaza as the fighting rages

2:48pm October 13, 2023

by Jaclyn Diaz

The chaos of the conflict between Israel and Hamas has forced many airlines to cancel flights to Tel Aviv, preventing foreign visitors from returning home and damaging Israel's travel sector.

Palestinians with their belongings flee from their homes following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on Friday.

World News

Gaza residents flee their homes as Israeli military threats escalate

2:21pm October 13, 2023

by Becky Sullivan

The evacuation order from Israel affecting 1 million people faced immediate objections, including from the U.N., which warned such an evacuation would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."

A member of the Israeli security forces stands near burning cars following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on Oct. 7.

World News

What to know about the elusive Hamas military commander behind the attack on Israel

1:44pm October 13, 2023

by Fatima Al-Kassab

Known as "the guest" for his habit of staying in a different house each night to evade Israeli attacks, Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas' military wing, remains an enigmatic and shadowy figure.

A police station razed by Israeli forces after being occupied by Hamas militants in Sderot, Israel.

World News

Left behind, in an assaulted Israeli town

12:26pm October 13, 2023

In the Israeli town of Sderot, less than a mile from the Gaza Strip, there are remnants and recollections of carnage from Hamas' ongoing attack.

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