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The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, will remain at five strategic outposts in southern Lebanon despite the Feb. 18 withdrawal deadline due to Israel's worries about the Lebanese Armed Forces' constrained willingness and ability to enforce Hezbollah's disarmament, CNN reported on Feb. 18.

Israel, Lebanon: IDF To Remain in Lebanon Past Withdrawal Deadline

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he considered U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza as the only "viable" path forward, AP reported on Feb. 16.

Israel, Gaza: Israelis Move Ahead With 'Voluntary' Population Transfer Plan

Yemen

Hamas said it would release Israeli hostages as previously planned on Feb. 15 and uphold the ceasefire deal with Israel following Egyptian and Qatari mediation, BBC reported on Feb. 13.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas To Release Hostages as Scheduled on Feb. 15

United States

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its war in Gaza on Feb. 15 unless the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to release hostages per their ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported on Feb. 11.

Israel, Gaza: Netanyahu Threatens To Resume War if Hamas Does Not Release Hostages by Feb. 15

Economics

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree to end the controversial "pay for slay" system that has provided payments to the families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel or killed in attacks against Israel, Reuters reported on Feb. 10.

Palestinian Territories: Abbas Issued Decree To End 'Pay for Slay' System

The Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas announced that it would delay its next planned release of Israeli hostages from Feb. 15 "until further notice," accusing Israel of violating the terms of their ceasefire, CNN reported on Feb. 10.

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Delays Next Prisoner Release as Ceasefire Wobbles

Lebanon's new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam formed a Cabinet of 24 ministers, including four Shiites whom the Amal Movement party (an ally of the political and militant group Hezbollah) named, as well as a fifth Shiite whom Salam picked, Reuters reported on Feb. 8.

Lebanon: Prime Minister Forms Government, Pledges Reforms and UNSC 1701

Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the Gaza Strip between the north and south, and thereby completed one of the conditions of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the BBC reported Feb. 9.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: IDF Withdraws from Netzarim Corridor in Gaza

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Crowds of Palestinians gather to receive food outside a U.N. aid distribution center in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah on Nov. 2, 2024.

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The displacement of any Palestinians from the Gaza Strip will further erode post-World War II norms against population transfers, laying the groundwork for future global conflicts.

Trump's Gaza Plan Risks Further Eroding Global Constraints on Population Removals

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Damage on Feb. 13 in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Mideast Ceasefires and Arab Gaza Proposals, the AU Summit

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Supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement brandish weapons and chant slogans as they take part in a protest staged in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza on Jan. 17, 2025, in Sanaa, Yemen. 

The Houthis' intervention in the Israel-Hamas war has bolstered their military capabilities and domestic influence, which could embolden them to launch renewed offensives in southern Yemen.

What Will Yemen's Houthis Do With Their New-Found Strength?

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The lobby of the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development is seen on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Cuts to U.S.-funded humanitarian and development programs could worsen global health outcomes, destabilize security environments, accelerate democratic backsliding, and create opportunities for rival powers to expand their influence.

The Global Implications of Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts

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Trucks wait to enter United States on Nov. 26, 2024, at the Otay crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump's Tariffs, Congo Braces for More Fighting in the East

Turkey

Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa addresses a crowd at a mosque in Damascus on Dec. 8, 2024.

While Syrians will drive their country's destiny, external influence from regional and global powers could determine what kind of government replaces the deposed Assad regime.

Syria's Future: Islamist Republic, Turkish Client State, or Jihadist Stronghold?

Egypt

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, Gaza City, on Jan. 28, 2025, following the Hamas-Israel ceasefire.

Egypt and Jordan will reject Trump's current proposal to resettle over a million Palestinians from Gaza to their territories due to fears of stoking domestic unrest, but they will likely permit smaller, gradual resettlements via illegal smuggling routes.

Trump Wants Egypt and Jordan To Take in Palestinians From Gaza. Will They Do It?

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette Rubio arrive at the State Department in Washington, D.C., to speak to employees on Jan. 21, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Expires, Rubio Tours Latin America

A Lebanese flag painted on a damaged building in a village in southern Lebanon is seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 23, 2025. 

Political and security imperatives will deter Israel from fully withdrawing from southern Lebanon by the Jan. 26 deadline outlined in its ceasefire with Hezbollah, which will risk provoking renewed Hezbollah attacks.

The Risks of a Delayed Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon

Qatar

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani holds a press conference in Doha on Jan. 15, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Despite Qatar's success in getting Hamas to accept a ceasefire with Israel, Trump will remain critical of Doha's support for Islamist movements in the region.

For Qatar, the Gaza Ceasefire Will Ease U.S. Pressure -- For Now

Germany

France

The West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 17 in Washington. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

The Weekly Rundown: The Gaza Ceasefire, Trump's Inauguration

A smoke plume rises above destroyed buildings in northern Gaza on Jan. 13, 2025.

The truce will improve Israel's ties with Lebanon and Egypt, but eventual violations could reignite regional tensions, as could Israel's intensified counter-insurgency operations in the West Bank.

The Regional Implications of the Gaza Ceasefire

Israel lives under difficult geopolitical circumstances. A small country with limited resources and surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors, Israel survives by allying with powers that do have the resources to manage the balance of power in the Middle East — namely, the United States. Its geographic position also means that Israel must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors by quiet collaboration, by exploiting divisions, and by parlaying its technological and economic advantages into create strategic dependencies. To navigate all the challenges presented by the Middle East, Israel will remain agile in its diplomacy and, when the situation warrants, steadfast in its pre-emptive strikes, its covert activities and its economic relationships.

Israel's Survival Strategy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel, Lebanon: IDF To Remain in Lebanon Past Withdrawal Deadline

Israel, Gaza: Israelis Move Ahead With 'Voluntary' Population Transfer Plan

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas To Release Hostages as Scheduled on Feb. 15

Israel, Gaza: Netanyahu Threatens To Resume War if Hamas Does Not Release Hostages by Feb. 15

Palestinian Territories: Abbas Issued Decree To End 'Pay for Slay' System

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Delays Next Prisoner Release as Ceasefire Wobbles

Lebanon: Prime Minister Forms Government, Pledges Reforms and UNSC 1701

Israel, Palestinian Territories: IDF Withdraws from Netzarim Corridor in Gaza

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