In war time, the type of conflict determines what formal rules of war apply. But how to determine the nature of the conflict?
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Articles on Middle East
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Long a well-kept secret, the archipelago of Socotra is one of the most biodiverse on earth. But the Emirates have other plans for its main island, with which it has long cultivated ties.
The diversity of Israel’s Jewish population has been a source of tensions, but also strength, over the decades.
A historian of the Middle East examines the decades-old ‘special relationship’ between Israel and the US.
Negotiating global progress on climate change involves walking a fine line, as a former UN official explains.
A cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas has seen the release of 58 hostages held in Gaza and 111 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
In federal parliament, there are “friendship” groups for almost everything, from AUKUS to arthritis, and for many countries. Three groups are particularly relevant at the moment – Friends of Palestine…
The slogan has been attacked as ‘antisemitic’ and defended as a ‘call for freedom.’ Behind the controversy is decades of usage.
Turkey and Israel exchanged tit-for-tat diplomatic withdrawals over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s pro-Hamas stance in the regional conflict. But behind that, the picture is more nuanced.
The Israeli attack on Gaza is undermining the West’s international standing, offering opportunities for China to enhance its regional and global diplomatic influence.
Beijing’s tone on the Middle East crisis has shifted since Hamas’s initial attack, becoming increasingly pro-Palestinian.
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.
Missiles from rebel Yemeni groups risk widening the Middle East conflict. But the motivation behind the attacks could be more about self-interest.
Countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Qatar all have a stake in the outcome of the war – but none want to be actively involved in fighting.
A decade of de-escalation among Gulf states could be at risk if Israel-Hamas violence spills across region. And that could threaten Saudi plans to transform the kingdom.
The current war in Gaza is an argument in favour of a multipolar world, one in which the U.S. has less influence and other powers can act as countervailing forces.
Until 1906, no US president had ever traveled abroad in office. Then Teddy Roosevelt demonstrated the power of showing up.
Hezbollah’s full involvement in the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict would likely open up a regional war.
US president Joe Biden has warned that occupation would be a ‘big mistake’ – and history seems to agree.
The US response to 9/11 included a declaration that America would destroy its enemies. The effort took decades, and thousands of lives on both sides, and never really succeeded.
Top contributors
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Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin
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Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University
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Senior Lecturer in History and International Relations, Curtin University
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Professor of Peace Studies, University of Bradford
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Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney
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Tony Walker is a Friend of The Conversation.
Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
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Adjunct professor, University of Technology Sydney
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University
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Chair, Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies, and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, UMass Amherst
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Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex
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Honorary Research Fellow, The University of Queensland
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Honorary Senior Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Research fellow at Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University
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Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick
