Will Hamas respond to leader's assassination? Hamas is still considering its options on how to respond to the assassination of its military leader, Mazen Faqha, which was blamed on Israel. By Adnan Abu Amer
Storytellers create intimate space in bustling Beirut The old Arab tradition of storytelling is finding its way back into Lebanese hearts, and regular events are becoming increasingly popular in Beirut. By Stefania D'Ignoti
3 Russian theories on why the US hit Syria Russian analysts have differing theories on just how and why the United States bombed a Syrian air base. By Maxim A. Suchkov
Russia 'furious' with Assad over gas attack Syria’s alleged chemical weapons attack in Idlib province has threatened to sabotage potential US-Russia rapprochement, and Russia is privately furious with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. By Laura Rozen
Church bombings leave many Egyptians questioning Sisi's 'war on terror' Despite failing to prevent terrorist attacks so far, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has made more promises to increase security in the wake of attacks on two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday. By Aya Nader
How US strikes could bring Tehran, Moscow closer The unanticipated US military strikes in Syria have opened a new chapter in the conflict that could eliminate disagreements between Iran and Russia regarding the future of Syria. By Saeid Jafari
Iranian officials give 'muted' response to US missile strike in Syria Iranian officials have condemned the American military strike on Syria but appear not to be pushing for an escalation with the United States. By Arash Karami
After chemical attack, Turkey renews calls for Assad’s ouster Is Turkey bringing back its previous policy regarding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad? By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Fears of foul play hang over Turkish referendum In the final stretch before Turkey’s critical referendum, “no” voters are concerned about government meddling and electoral fraud in what is expected to be a nail-biting vote on the country’s future. By Mahmut Bozarslan
Land dispute continues to threaten Egypt-Sudan ties Sudan recently announced the formation of a committee to consider the expulsion of Egyptians from the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen region, an area that has long been at the forefront of strained relations between Cairo and Khartoum. By Khalid Hassan
Displaced Raqqa teachers prepare for rebuilding education post-IS On April 2, a group of teachers from Raqqa held a meeting in southern Turkey to discuss how to proceed with restoring schooling and education once their city is liberated from the Islamic State. By Kamal Sheikho
Hezbollah’s No. 2: US strike on Syria mere ‘muscle flexing' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah in Lebanon, spoke about the US military strikes on a Syrian air base and Israel and its potential moves in the region among other things. By Ali Rizk
Morocco finally gets new government, but at what cost? The announcement of a new Cabinet in Morocco after months of difficulty revealed that the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) may have had to pay a heavy price for compromise. By Imad Stitou
Could Kurds hold independence referendum this year? The Kurdistan Democratic Party is rushing to organize an independence referendum; however, there is no agreement on this matter among other Kurdish parties, and Baghdad, Iran and Turkey have strong reservations. By Omar Sattar
How Turkey's 'hasty' support for US missile strike could backfire Turkey's rash decisions about Syria could make it appear fickle to both Russia and the United States. By Metin Gurcan
After US missile strikes, can Tillerson find common ground with Russia in Syria? US strategy to defeat Islamic State in play as secretary of state heads to Moscow and UN secretary-general calls for restraint. By Week in Review