Magazine

Israel’s direct strike on Iran marks a new phase

Saturday, October 26, 2024
Israel’s attack on Iran was part of a new phase in tensions as it was the first time Israel admitted to a direct strike on Iran, with Tehran downplaying the impact and Israel exaggerating its achievements, analyst Abas Aslani said.

"This indicates that … Israel may be encouraged by the US to avoid a full-scale war in the region," Aslani, a senior research fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera from Tehran. "The initial assessment and the initial reaction here in Tehran indicates that maybe a serious or significant reaction, a direct reaction against Israel, was not as likely."

However, Aslani said some sort of response from Iran should be expected.

Israeli military confirms it has launched attacks on Iran

Saturday, October 26, 2024
As we have been reporting, several loud explosions have been reported on the outskirts of Tehran.

The Israeli military has now confirmed that it is conducting attacks on military targets.

Here’s the full statement, published by Israel’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee:

The [Israeli military] is currently attacking with precision military targets in Iran in response to the Iranian regime’s ongoing attacks against the State of Israel over the past few months.

The [Israeli military] is on alert offensively and defensively as we follow developments from Iran and its proxies.

The [Israeli military] is conducting an ongoing situational assessment and at this stage, there has been no change in the Home Front Command’s instructions.

We must continue to be vigilant and obey the instructions of the Home Front Command in order to inform the public of any new developments immediately.

Will the US president pressure Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza?

Wednesday, October 23, 2024  
Israel's restrictions on international journalists have allowed the military to carry out its genocide in Gaza with impunity for more than a year.

Politicians in the US are finally questioning that.

Weeks before Americans elect a new president, dozens of Democrats from the House of Representatives have written to Joe Biden.

They want him to intervene and push Israel for 'unrestricted, independent media access to Gaza'.

Will the US president act?

And how will this play out in campaigning ahead of the November 5 election?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Laura Albast -- Fellow, Institute for Palestine Studies

Tim Dawson -- Deputy Secretary General, International Federation of Journalists

Ashish Prashar -- US political strategist and former adviser to Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair

What is next for Hamas in Gaza?

Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh were killed by Israel, leaving the group to debate a successor. And, as Israel’s war on Gaza continues, questions remain about what lies ahead for Gaza’s leadership and its people.

In this episode:

    Diana Buttu, Lawyer and Al-Shabaka Board Member

Can BRICS offer a counterbalance to the existing world order?

Monday, October 21, 2024
The 16th BRICS summit will have five new members, doubling the group's strength to 10.

Leaders from several other countries are also attending.

Some of them, like Turkey and Malaysia, have already applied to join the growing alliance.

The event allows President Vladimir to signal to the West that he has not been isolated because of the war in Ukraine.
 
It's also an occasion for other member states to amplify their voices and policies.

So, what's behind the rapid expansion of this bloc?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Andrei Fedorov - Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia.
Hassan Ahmadian - Professor of Middle East Studies, University of Tehran.
Mark Seddon, Lead, Centre for UN Studies, University of Buckingham.

What is behind the Canada-India fallout?

Monday, October 21, 2024
Assassination claims, diplomatic expulsions, and mounting tensions: Canada accuses India of orchestrating the killing of a Sikh activist on its soil, igniting a diplomatic standoff. With both nations at odds, the Sikh community is caught in the middle. How are they navigating this, and what does the blame game mean for their future and security?

In this episode:

    Jaskaran Sandhu, World Sikh Organization

Genocide unfolding: 640 Palestinians killed in north Gaza in 17 days

Monday, October 21, 2024  
Israel has killed at least 640 Palestinians in north Gaza since it laid siege to the area 17 days ago, 33 of them since dawn on Monday, medical sources have told Al Jazeera.

In Gaza, civilians face unimaginable hardship amid ongoing conflict. Children carry injured siblings on foot, struggling to survive. War-torn streets leave them exhausted, vulnerable, and reliant on strangers for help. In the south, drone strikes target makeshift shelters, killing displaced civilians. Families mourn innocent lives lost in supposed "safe zones." Nowhere in Gaza is safe, especially in the north, where Israeli forces intensify their offensive. Civilians are forced to flee under the threat of death, with hospitals overwhelmed and the war showing no signs of ending.

Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi reports.

Why is the US leading calls for political change in Lebanon?

Saturday, Oct 5, 2024
Lebanon is again under attack as Israel wages war against the country's dominant political and military force - Hezbollah.

Although its primary target is the armed group, Israel's attacks have been indiscriminate, killing civilians and medical workers just as it has done in Gaza.

But the conflict is also bringing pressure to change Lebanon's fragmented political system.

So who is looking for this political change - and what might it mean?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra.
Guests:
Hala Jaber, journalist and author of books on Iraq and Lebanon including 'Hezbollah: Born with a Vengeance'.
Nadim Houry, Executive Director at Arab Reform Initiative and former director of Human Rights Watch.
David Wood, Senior Analyst with International Crisis Group in Beirut.

Inside Western media’s reporting on Gaza

Saturday, Oct 5, 2024
When political leaders speak of genocide, they repeat a timeworn mantra: "Never again."

Over the past year, for the Palestinians of Gaza, "again" has become reality - mass casualties broadcast almost in real time by its victims.

This film is about an alternative version of that reality - the one told by major Western news organisations - and how it has provided cover for Israel's war on Gaza.

Based on interviews with more than a dozen insiders, it lifts the curtain on the inner workings of agenda-setting outlets like CNN, the BBC and The New York Times.

Contributors:
"Adam" – journalist, CNN
"Sara" – former journalist, BBC
Ghassan Abu Sitta – reconstructive surgeon
Jodi Rudoren – former Jerusalem bureau chief, The New York Times
Jeremy Scahill – co-founder, Drop Site News
Craig Mokhiber – former senior human rights official, United Nations

Richard Gizbert - Presenter
Daniel Turi – Lead Producer
Monazza Farooqi – Assistant Producer
Haim Litani – Editor
Tariq Nafi – Senior Producer
Meenakshi Ravi – Executive Producer

How Israel and US manufactured the case for genocide in Gaza: Marwan Bishara

Saturday, Oct 5, 2024
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara highlights that the unfolding events were not driven by instinct or industry foresight, but rather by the daily manufacturing of a case for genocide between October 7, 2023 and October 19, 2023.

Marwan Bishara emphasizes the critical turning point on October 7, when within 12 hours, Hamas delivered a significant blow to Israel, causing deep humiliation. Israel, known for its military strength, was shaken not only by the deaths of hundreds of civilians but also by the loss of soldiers and the violation of its military bases and settlements.

Bishara suggests that these 12 hours of humiliation were followed by 12 days that would shape the subsequent year, during which Israel and the United States began to build the case for genocide.