Gaza
From his hospital bed, Pope Francis stays in touch with Catholic parishioners in Gaza
Even while Pope Francis is hospitalized, he still keeps in touch with a Roman Catholic parish in Gaza City, making near-nightly phone calls to the priest and congregation there.
Hamas to hand over 4 Israeli hostages’ bodies Thursday and 6 living hostages Saturday
Hamas says it has agreed to Israel's request to speed up release of Israeli hostages, including two men held around a decade. The bodies of members of a young family are among those it will hand over.
Rubio is in Saudi Arabia to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and Ukraine war
After meetings in Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Saudi Arabia to push President Trump's plan for Gaza and to meet with Russian counterparts on steps to ending the war in Ukraine.
Jordan’s military is test-running an air bridge for aid to Gaza
NPR traveled with Jordan's military on a recent helicopter flight delivering aid to the Gaza Strip, part of a test program since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect last month.
The next Israeli hostages Hamas will release include U.S. and Russian nationals
Hamas says it will release three hostages on Saturday, resolving a dispute with Israel that threatened to derail the ceasefire. In exchange, Israel will free dozens of Palestinians from jail.
Jordan’s King Abdullah heads to the White House as Trump pushes a Gaza takeover plan
It is expected to be one of the toughest meetings of the king's quarter-century reign.
Hamas says it’s delaying the next Israeli hostage release
A Hamas spokesman said it's postponing the release of the next group of Israeli hostages, accusing Israel of preventing Palestinians from returning home in Gaza.
Palestinian refugees in Syria have a message for Gazans: Don’t leave your land
Palestinians fled the 1948 Mideast War and took refuge in neighboring Syria. After 77 years, they're still waiting to go back. They are telling Palestinians in Gaza to stay put.
Trump carries out his ‘flood the zone’ strategy, creating a week of whiplash
An attempt to identify and explain some of the biggest things that happened each week, and draw attention to some that have been overlooked.
Pro-Palestinian demonstration draws counter-protest at University of Alabama
Students gathered demanding the school call for a permanent and immediate ceasefire and to push the school to sever ties with defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
Gaza — A Nonviolent View
Skirmishes have broken out within the tenuous cease fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. It's a situation closely watched by Jerry Levin. The former Birmingham and CNN journalist was kidnapped by Hezbollah more than 20 years ago, but since then has become involved in non-violent peace activism in the West Bank. Earlier this month we heard from a Birmingham native living in southern Israel. Now we hear from Levin, a backer of the Palestinian cause and what he calls 'assertive non-violence.' He says Americans are seeing the pain, anger and confusion felt by Palestinians. But he told WBHM's Andrew Yeager the notion that only attacks from Gaza prompted Israel's military action is not true.
From Birmingham to Israel
Margaret Duvdevani lives in an area grabbing headlines currently, but not for positive reasons. The Birmingham native graduated from college, hopped around Europe, married an Israeli and settled in Israel 30 years ago. A medical technician by training she lives in a farming community in southern Israel, three miles from the Gaza Strip. Duvdevani is visiting Birmingham this month to share her perspective on the latest clash between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. She told WBHM's Andrew Yeager this conflict is different than previous ones.
