Beyond the Headlines

Palestinians in Gaza took to the streets overnight to celebrate the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. They welcomed the news of a deal to pause the fighting and release Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The agreement has not yet been signed and it is only the first phase of a peace plan set out by US President Donald Trump. After two years of war, the deal would bring much relief to the enclave. But there is also scepticism. Israel broke the previous ceasefire in March and Palestinians are fearful that could happen again. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher is joined by The National’s correspondent in Cairo, Hamza Hendawi. They discuss the terms of the agreement, what is missing and what will happen next? 

Almost 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began two years ago after Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel. About 90 per cent of residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed. On average, a child is killed every hour. The toll taken is often measured in scale and impact, in mass destruction and collective suffering. But this big picture is made up of a mosaic of individual human stories. Yahya is a young content creator who is making 99 video memories. Some are uplifting, others bittersweet. Abeer is a university lecturer who had to stop teaching; she could no longer bear to see her students suffering. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Gazans share their experiences as Israel’s war enters its third year – they tell of lives, possessions and property lost, but also describe the enduring power of the human spirit.

US President Donald Trump’s strategy to end the war in Gaza and prepare for the day after has divided opinion. After two years of failed ceasefire talks, it is the only prospect within reach now that could bring some respite to Palestinians enduring Israel’s relentless war. But it also leaves much to the imagination. The 20-point list promises a “deradicalised, terror-free” strip without Hamas rule, restoration of aid through the UN and the Red Crescent, and the gradual withdrawal of troops. But other than the release of the hostages, there are no clear timelines for the rest of the plan. It is also unclear how Gaza would not be annexed, as the proposal states, while a security parameter remains in place indefinitely. While the plan is not perfect, it has received support from Israel as well as western and Arab countries. It is also the closest point to a ceasefire since Israel broke the last one in March. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Palestinian Nakba survivor Antoine Raffoul, and to Amr Hamzawy, director of the Carnegie Middle East Programme. They discuss the fine print of Mr Trump’s plan and whether it’s time to end the bloodshed in Gaza, whatever the cost may be. Editor's note: Beyond the Headlines has been nominated for a Signal Listener's Choice Award in the news and politics category. Please vote for us here. Voting closes on October 9.

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The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly marks a milestone for the region. After years of being the exceptions, several western countries have joined more than 140 others in recognising Palestine as a state. French President Emmanuel Macron made his country’s declaration on Monday at the French-Saudi summit at UNGA to revive the long defunct two-state solution. The same position was declared by the UK a day earlier. Both are permanent UN Security Council members. It has come full circle within the halls of the United Nations, where almost 80 years ago the General Assembly decided it would divide historic Palestine and create the state of Israel. Ever since, Palestine has been striving for its place in the world. This could be the long-awaited catalyst for Palestinian self-determination, but with Israel’s continuing war on Gaza and its vow to annex the occupied West Bank, how can statehood become a reality? In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, guest host Ban Barkawi follows the journey of Palestine at the UN from division to recognition, and asks whether that will change anything. She speaks to Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of Palestine to the United Nations, and to Saul Takahashi, visiting professor in legal studies at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Dozens of boats carrying activists from about 44 countries have finally set sail for Gaza after much delay. The Global Sumud Flotilla is not the first humanitarian mission to attempt to break Israel’s sea blockade of the strip, but it is the largest to date. It follows unsuccessful attempts by individual boats earlier this year and countless others over the past almost 20 years. Activists say they are taking action to open a humanitarian corridor and deliver aid to Gaza where UN experts have determined Israel is committing genocide and deliberately imposing a famine. Almost every flotilla since the start has been blocked by Israeli authorities, which intercept the vessels and detain their crews. In the case of the Mavi Marmara in 2010, the ship was attacked and 10 people on it were killed. But does Israel have a right to stop the boats, with or without force? In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, guest host Ban Barkawi follows the flotilla’s journey and looks at what international law says about Israel's siege and the efforts to break it. She speaks to Jinan Bastaki, associate professor of legal studies at NYU Abu Dhabi, and Carsie Blanton, an activist sailing with the convoy.

In the past month, Israel has bombed Palestine, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon, but its attack on Hamas officials in Qatar this week was most unexpected. And it hit a nerve. Arab leaders immediately expressed solidarity with their Gulf neighbour and condemned what they said was a breach of Qatar's sovereignty. In the coming days they will meet at an emergency regional summit to discuss the attack. But analysts say a military response is not an option. Qatar has been a major mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, but it is also a strategic US ally and home to the biggest American military base in the region. US President Donald Trump said he was not “thrilled” about the strike but has yet to take any action against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But what fallout could this have for Qatar and the Gulf states, and how will it test their relationship with western allies? In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Hasan AlHasan, senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Hussein Ibish, resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and a columnist for The National.

Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday drew widespread condemnation from the international community. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described it as “state terrorism”. It was the first time that Israel attacked a Gulf state, sending shock waves across the region. But the timing was also critical. Mediators had been in Doha to advance Gaza ceasefire talks, while people in the enclave came under new displacement orders. Five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed, but Israel’s main target, Khalil Al Haya, survived, according to the group. In this special episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mina Al-Oraibi, editor-in-chief of The National, joins host Nada AlTaher to examine the fallout of the strike.

The Israeli army's killing of several Houthi government officials, including the prime minister, marks another serious escalation in the region. Until now, the army had mostly attacked infrastructure in Yemen, hitting power plants and ports, but the latest strike was different. The Houthis have pledged to retaliate. The Iran-backed group has already fired back with missiles toward Israel. It has been doing this periodically since the start of the war in Gaza, in what it says is solidarity with Palestine. These attacks have mostly caused only superficial damage, but it has also been attacking Red Sea shipping, disrupting global trade. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted of delivering a severe blow to the Houthi leadership in the assassination strike but experts say it is the group’s military figures, not politicians, that have real influence on the ground. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher compares the Israeli army's operations in Yemen to its attacks on Hezbollah and Hamas. She speaks to Baraa Shiban, associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute, Jovan Ilijev from the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC), and Elisabeth Kendall, president of Girton College at Cambridge University.

US envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus were in Lebanon this week to restate a key demand: Hezbollah must disarm. The latest push from Washington came with economic incentives as Mr Barrack proposed the US becomes a “substitute” to Iranian influence. The Lebanese government agreed to disarm non-state groups this month but it wants guarantees that Israel will withdraw militarily from the country. Israel says it will not de-escalate until the disarmament process begins. This puts Lebanon in a difficult position. On the one hand it wants US financial support and for the Israeli attacks to end. On the other, it must convince a defiant Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran to lay down weapons. Without a strategic plan, the consequences could be grave for the country and the wider region. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to The National’s foreign editor, Mohamad Ali Harisi, and Nicholas Blanford, an Atlantic Council analyst in Beirut. They discuss the challenges of disarming Hezbollah and whether the US and Israel would hold up their end of the bargain.