Middle East

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) speaks to soldiers on a visit to the northern Gaza Strip on Dec. 25, 2023. Netanyahu says the militant group Hamas must be destroyed in the current war in Gaza, though some critics say that goal is unrealistic.

World News

The long and bitter relationship between Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas

5:45am January 26, 2024

by Greg Myre

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas have a tortured relationship dating back to the 1990s. Yet at various times, the hardline policies of one have boosted the other.

Israeli army troops drive through a dirt road along the border with Gaza in southern Israel on January 25.

World News

Friendly fire and accidents have killed a lot of Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Here's why

5:00am January 26, 2024

by Fatma Tanis

Nearly 1 in 5 Israeli casualties since the invasion of Gaza were caused by friendly fire or accidents. Experts say it's one of the highest such percentages in recent military history.

Queue Listen Now

How the U.S. military is factoring into expanding conflict in the Middle East

4:44pm January 25, 2024

The U.S. military is being drawn into dangerous flashpoints in the Middle East after Israel invaded Gaza. Iraq faces pressure to expel U.S. forces, which have been attacked by Iran-backed militias.

The war in Gaza is spilling over into Israeli universities

4:21pm January 25, 2024

by Jackie Northam

Palestinian students are being suspended over accusations they supported the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and some Jewish students say they won't attend classes with Palestinian professors.

World News

How the war between Israel and Hamas widened into a regional conflict

1:50pm January 25, 2024

by Terry Gross

New York Times correspondent David Sanger says that Iran and its proxies are posing new challenges: "We're seeing outbreaks of low-level but highly damaging conflict all over the region."

Queue Listen Now

A beautician in Gaza was about to open her dream salon. The war destroyed it

5:10am January 25, 2024

by Aya Batrawy

A woman in Gaza reflects on what she has lost since Israel went to war against Hamas.

Israeli mother keeps hope alive that her son, held hostage by Hamas, will be freed

5:10am January 25, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

Alon Ohel was taken hostage on Oct. 7 in a village near Gaza, his family recently held a concert in the hopes that he might hear it.

Soccer fans wave Palestinian flags at the AFC Asian Cup Group C soccer match between Hong Kong and the Palestinian soccer team.

Palestinians find a bit of hope as their national soccer team advances in Asian Cup

5:45pm January 24, 2024

by Hadeel Al-Shalchi

The national team's 3-0 victory over Hong Kong brought Palestinians a moment of hope as the squad advances to the knockout stage for the first time in the AFC Asian Cup.

Queue Listen Now

In Israel, anger at Netanyahu is getting louder

5:18pm January 24, 2024

by Daniel Estrin

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he'll face questions about responsibility for Palestinian deaths when the war is over, but there are signs that that reckoning is already approaching.

World News

Why a high number of Israeli soldiers in Gaza have died by friendly fire or accidents

4:36pm January 24, 2024

by Fatma Tanis

Nearly one fifth of all Israeli soldier deaths in Gaza have been due to accidents or friendly fire. Military experts say that number is high even for urban conflict.

Queue Listen Now