US says Gaza cease-fire talks in ‘end game’ with new proposal Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel Saturday ahead of cease-fire negotiations that are set to resume in Cairo next week. Palestine
Analysis Pessimism prevails as Gaza cease-fire talks resume in Doha Negotiators are meeting in Doha for what the Biden administration has described as “final stage” Gaza cease-fire talks. But with Hamas refusing to participate and Israel driving a hard bargain, is there any reason for optimism? By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Gaza cease-fire talks begin in Doha without Hamas Israeli, American, Egyptian and Qatari representatives are meeting Thursday for another push to finalize a deal to halt the Hamas-Israel war. Israel
Qatar to host Gaza cease-fire talks amid Iran-Israel tension: What we know Hamas says it will not attend the talks, which will take place in Doha. Qatar
Why does Hamas, Fatah reconciliation keep failing? Despite talks, Palestinians expect strategic differences and foreign interference to once more thwart a Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement. Qatar
Hezbollah responds to GCC decision In a speech following the GCC’s decision to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization, the movement’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, intensified his criticism of Saudi Arabia, indicating a readiness to go all the way in the confrontation. Saudi Arabia
Why canceled Arab League summit should worry Israelis Morocco’s decision not to host the Arab League summit has unexpected implications for Israel. Saudi Arabia
Another Hamas-Fatah reconciliation agreement bites the dust The latest meetings in Doha to promote the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas may not reach the desired results, as Egypt, which has always been a sponsor of such meetings, might not allow this. Qatar
What fading oil fortunes means for Turkey's businesses Turkish businesspeople are losing sleep over oil-producing states' deferrals of payments to international contractors and the possible loss of mega projects. Gulf
Can Ankara's plans keep up with Syria's escalation? The course of events in Syria offer opportunities but also new threats to Ankara, which still has to deal with structural flaws in its Syrian policy. Saudi Arabia
Qatar's precarious position between Saudi Arabia, Iran The recent decline in Saudi-Iranian relations has put GCC members in a bind, in particular Qatar, which for years has tried to maintain diplomatic and economic ties with Iran. Saudi Arabia
Who's to blame for recent kidnappings in Iraq? Many foreign diplomats and workers have been kidnapped in Iraq by armed gangs that have been spreading in the absence of security measures, which could damage diplomatic representation. Saudi Arabia
Russia, Qatar pushed to compromise. But will they? A recent visit between Qatari and Russian officials indicate that in spite of their many differences, the two states may seek to cooperate. Qatar
Will South Pars help bring Iran's economy back to life? The newly inaugurated phases 15 and 16 of Iran's giant South Pars project have the potential to greatly boost the country's economy. Qatar
Amid financial hardship, Erdogan looks to Qatar as 'rich daddy' Turkey’s leadership, increasingly isolated in the region amid spats with Russia and Iraq, knocks on the doors of Israel and Qatar, with the latter providing much-needed foreign investment. Qatar
What's Saudi's new Islamic coalition really up to? Not a lot is known about Saudi Arabia's newly announced Islamic Military Alliance, leaving observers to ponder its prospects. Saudi Arabia
