Israel has seen limited success in its primary war aims, while Hamas can claim a partial victory because it is still standing. But is the conflict headed towards a stalemate?
So far, the revival of the ‘axis’ appears to be largely coming from Republicans, rather than the White House.
A Palestinian militant rides on the back of a motorcycle near a crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023.
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A scholar of the Islamic State group says Hamas has undergone a radical ISIS-inspired transformation that has not yet gotten widespread public attention.
The Houthis are not mere Iranian proxies in the war. Their support for the Palestinians is also aimed at garnering domestic and international support for the group’s position in Yemen.
An Iranian woman not wearing a mandatory headscarf walks past a group of young women who cover their hair in November 2023.
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Iranian women are still pressing for women’s rights and equality, just in quieter forms, including not wearing mandatory hair covers. Imprisoned activists are also leaking messages to others.
Hunger strike: 2023 Nobel peace laureate, Narges Mohammadi.
EPA-EFE/Abedin Taherkenareh
While Iran is wary of entering into direct war with Israel, Tehran has been lending support to Yemen’s Houthis, Irak’s Shia militias as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah.
Iran’s long-term strategy includes eradicating Israel and driving a wedge between Israel and its regional neighbors. So far, the war seems to be accomplishing that goal.
UN peacekeepers patrol the Israeli-Lebanese border on October 12 2023.
Associated Press|Alamy
The Al-Aqsa mosque, a flashpoint in Hamas’ recent assault against Israel, hosts daily prayers and Friday gatherings. It lies adjacent to important Jewish and Christian religious locales.
Israelis inspect the rubble of a building in Tel Aviv on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.
AP Photo/Oded Balilty