Beyond the Headlines

What would it take to restore some sort of normality to life in Gaza?

What a normal life is like for the rest of the world does not apply in Gaza, and it almost never has.

Even before October 7, electricity only came on for an average of four to six hours a day and nearly 98 per cent of water was undrinkable. Transportation options were always limited and housing was a challenge in one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

Now, after more than six months of war, around 50 to 70 percent of housing has been destroyed. The cost of damage between October and January alone is estimated by the World Bank at $18.5 billion.

In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher explores whether life in Gaza can ever go back to any kind of normality, looking at the path to rebuilding the strip and the mammoth task at hand. She speaks to Rami Al Azzeh, economist with the Assistance to the Palestinian People Unit at UNCTAD, and Amira Aker, a postdoctoral fellow at Canada’s Universite Laval who specialises in epidemiology and environmental health.

Iran’s attack on Israel - what’s next for the Middle East?

Air-raid alerts going off in Israel, many airports in the Middle East closed, flights delayed, the airspace over Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon shut down. That was Saturday night in the region as Iran launched its first major attack on Israel with around 300 drones and missiles.

Most of the projectiles - launched in response to the April 1 strike on Iran’s embassy in Damascus that killed two general from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - were shot down before they even reached their targets. But Israel’s top general said immediately after the attack that the country will respond.

In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher breaks down the current stand-off between Israel and Iran with senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, Hussein Ibish, and looks at the prospects for Israel’s retaliation.

Sudan’s power struggle and the humanitarian crisis it has caused

It’s been almost a year since the war in Sudan broke out, bringing with it death, displacement and a humanitarian disaster.

As the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group continue their deadly power struggle, civilians bear the brunt of the violence and instability gripping the nation.

The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. More than 8.5 million people have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring Egypt, Chad and South Sudan. Around 18 million of Sudan's 48 million people are acutely food insecure, and less than 5 per cent of the population can afford a full meal.

In this week's episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the military battle for control of Sudan – and the civilians paying the price.

The role social media is playing in the Israel-Gaza war

Social media has redefined the way people are experiencing the war in Gaza, with citizens and regular users alike playing a crucial role in sharing minute-by-minute updates from the region.

Israel's continuous bombardment of Gaza for six months now since the October 7 attack by Hamas has propelled numerous activists to the forefront, utilising social media to shed light on the harrowing realities of the suffering.

Recent developments such as Instagram's restrictions on political content, which has not yet been implemented in some parts of the Middle East, and algorithms prioritising specific content for public safety, have sparked concerns about stifling news organisations that provide around-the-clock coverage.

In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, Thoraya Abdullahi looks at the role of social media in the current conflict, speaking to digital consultant at Financial Times Strategies Ben Whitelaw and social media influencer Rahma Zein.

The significance of UN resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire

This week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution – for the first time since the Israel-Gaza war began in October – demanding an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan.

Hours later, more than 50 people were killed by Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave, bringing the death toll to more than 32,000 people – over 80 per cent of them women and children.

Washington's criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza has grown sharper recently. The US abstained from Monday's Security Council vote, allowing it to pass. In reaction, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a planned trip to the US capital.

So, what is the significance of this UN resolution? How binding is it? Who can make sure it takes effect? And is this a pivotal moment in the Israel-Gaza war, as it approaches its seventh month?

In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher considers all of this as she speaks to former US ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein, who also served as a diplomat in several other countries in the region, and The National’s UN correspondent Adla Massoud.

What are the prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza?

After almost six months of war and more than 31,000 deaths in Gaza, ceasefire talks resumed in Doha this week as Hamas, Israel and mediators discussed the details of a potential future deal.

Meanwhile, during his visit to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country had submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an “immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages” in Gaza.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu has said he remains committed to an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite clear objections from US President Joe Biden.

In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Nada Altaher examines the prospects for a ceasefire, the details of any proposals, and the stumbling blocks in place.

Observing Ramadan in countries hit by conflict

Ramadan is typically a time of spiritual reflection, self-discipline and community bonding for Muslims around the world. But for millions of people in the Arab region, Ramadan this year is defined by violence and uncertainty.

 

On top of that, the Middle East is amidst one of its worst food crises in recent years, according to the UN’s World Food Programme. About 40 million of the region’s 400 million people now face acute food insecurity, with 11 million unable to find enough food for their families each day.

But this does not stop some families from coming together to break their fast, revive the Ramadan spirit, and share whatever they have with one another.

 

In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Thoraya Abdullahi takes a look at how Muslims observe Ramadan amid security threats, and delves into the different experiences in conflict zones, featuring voices from Sudan, Syria and Lebanon.

Ramadan in Gaza: Living under threat, fighting for food and longing for peace

Ramadan this year will be different for the people of Gaza with Israel continuing an air and ground assault that has gone on for five months now. The threat of famine looms due to the limited supply of food and the disrupted process of getting aid in.

 

In most Muslim households across the world, families would usually stock up on ingredients and food supplies to accommodate the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset for almost 30 days. But traditional Ramadan customs and rituals in Gaza are now overshadowed by the struggle for survival.

 

In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, days before Ramadan begins, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Gazans who will observe the month of fasting in makeshift tents, and Steve Sosebee, founder of HEAL Palestine, discusses the humanitarian crisis and the lack of access to food and shelter there.  

Egypt’s struggle in the Rafah crisis

Egypt is the only country other than Israel with a border with Gaza, which means the area between the city of Al Arish and the Palestinian territory bears witness to what is unfolding in Rafah.

Tensions are high as Israeli officials say they will launch a ground offensive before Ramadan if the hostages held by Hamas aren’t released. This means the lives of half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, seeking refuge now in Rafah, close to the border, hang in the balance. The US and many leading nations have warned Israel against the offensive, fearing that a deepening humanitarian catastrophe that would follow could exacerbate Gaza’s death toll.

But now, every action from Israel in Rafah will reverberate across borders. Especially in Egypt. The country’s foremost concern revolves around the possibility of Palestinians being forced under Israeli assault to attempt to breach the border with Northern Sinai. This would present broader complications for Egypt's security and regional stability.

On this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Enas Refaei looks at how Egypt navigates a complex landscape, balancing humanitarian concerns with geopolitical realities.

How the Russia-Ukraine war changed the world after two years

Tens of thousands of lives have been lost among Ukrainians and Russians, countless buildings are in ruin, the landscape of eastern Ukraine has been ravaged by destruction and there is no end in sight.

Two years after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, it has become certain that the impact of this conflict extends far beyond its borders. The shockwaves of the war have been felt in many countries, not just in Europe. It has also disrupted global trade, particularly in energy and food markets, affecting prices and supply chains worldwide.

In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Damien McElroy delves deeper into the geopolitical and the military implications of this crisis. On the sidelines of Munich Security Conference, he sat down with Ambassador Kurt Volker, who was a special US representative for Ukraine and former ambassador to Nato, and Gallup’s Ilana Ron-Levey, who talked about global public opinion of the war.