The announcement of Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan in October 2025 at first seemed to offer the tangible prospect of an end to the ongoing destruction in Gaza, with Hamas signing the agreement on October 9. Complying with the terms of the first phase of the agreement, Hamas returned all of the 20 remaining […]
While many Western leaders, including Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, initially welcomed the Gaza ceasefire as a potential turning point, hopes of lasting peace in Gaza have been dashed as Israel continues to violate Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. The IDF is still bombing Gaza, killing over 200 Palestinians in airstrikes and drone attacks since […]
Since October 2023, Gaza has endured an unprecedented intensive military offensive, defined by massive bombardments, the systematic demolition of civilian infrastructure and the imposition of a siege. This war operates in a broader scenario of military impunity that increasingly challenges international law, whereby Israel simultaneously conducts extraterritorial strikes in Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen with […]
Iran’s forward defense strategy, coupled with strategic miscalculations, has led to a retrenchment of its role in Lebanon’s domestic politics; a curtailment which in turn has reduced Hezbollah’s power base. This weakening has resulted in a marked shift in the balance of power, tilting deterrence in favor of Israel, the US, and Hezbollah’s opponents within […]
Earlier this year, in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump asserted the US would not only take over Gaza but transform it into what he described as the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’. His comments have been roundly criticised as tantamount to a violation of the Geneva convention, which […]
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran not only underscores profound vulnerabilities within Iranian intelligence but also could potentially mark a shift in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. Likely orchestrated by Mossad, this operation exploited critical weaknesses in Iran’s Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), revealing not just external penetrations but possibly […]
Increasingly networks are forming between Indigenous and Palestinian groups through a shared experience of colonisation. In recent years, there has been a shift at the grassroots level in Australia in support of the Palestinian cause. Solidarity networks between the Palestinian diaspora and Indigenous communities are growing wider and deeper. This has charted a new course […]
The Middle East region is facing major challenges related to climate change, and Iraq is no exception. Despite being a historically water-rich country, Iraq faces demands from multiple directions for this critical resource: population growth, the legacy of multiple wars, transboundary water (mis)management and a changing climate. An analysis of a commonly used drought index […]
In 2011, the World Bank estimated Iraqis endured, on average, 40 power outages every month – placing Iraq in the unenviable position of sixth globally in terms of frequency of outages after Bangladesh, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Papua New Guinea. Over the past 12 years, the situation in Iraq has deteriorated further with widespread and […]
Jordan and Palestine are bracing themselves for Israel’s fifth election in just over three years, slated for November 1. Beyond Israel itself, these two countries are arguably most affected by the outcome and subsequent shifts in domestic politics. Taking primacy are Jordanian and Palestinian concerns over the future prospect of a two-state solution given trends […]
With the Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) victory in the Australian parliamentary elections on May 21, some policy shifts could be imminent. This is not limited to foreign policy, a space historically underpinned by broad bipartisanship in Canberra. However, ALP’s 2021 political platform suggests the party could explore a series of new approaches that reorient Australia’s […]
