Israel
Amnesty International accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, which Israel strongly denies
Amnesty International says Israel has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians in its war with Hamas, by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing aid deliveries.
As Israel bans UNRWA, Palestinians stand to lose schools and clinics, not only in Gaza
Israel is severing ties with the main United Nations agency that provides aid to Palestinians. With the focus largely on Gaza, the move also threatens key services in the occupied West Bank.
The world welcomes the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, but worries remain
Celebratory gunfire rang out in Beirut to mark the start of a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah to end almost 14 months of fighting.
Netanyahu urges his cabinet to approve a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israel's security Cabinet to approve a ceasefire with Hezbollah, paving the way for a possible pause in over a year of fighting with the Iran-backed group.
Eyewitnesses in Gaza say Israel is using sniper drones to shoot Palestinians
NPR has collected multiple eyewitness accounts about small, gun-carrying drones shooting — and sometimes killing — civilians in Gaza. Israel's military has not confirmed whether it uses sniper drones.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Pope calls for investigation into whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide
Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel's military attacks on Gaza constitute genocide. It's the first time he's publicly suggested that Israel may be engaged in genocide.
Animal rescuers evacuate a lion cub from war-torn Lebanon to South Africa
The group Animals Lebanon says it rescued Sara the lion cub from abuse by a Lebanese social media influencer, kept it safe in Beirut and sent it to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.
In northern Israel, migrant workers are farming while under fire from Hezbollah
Foreign laborers, many from Thailand, are tending fields and livestock in an area Israel has declared off-limits to its own civilians amid ongoing military operations against Hezbollah.
In Lebanon, residents fear Hezbollah could be hiding among people displaced by war
A neighborhood watch group in a Christian Beirut neighborhood is on the lookout for militant operatives, which could make the area a target for Israeli airstrikes.
Transcript and Analysis: Trump and Netanyahu Hold Joint Press Conference
President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday. The two held a joint press conference amid differing messages emanating from the Trump administration about its stance on the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. NPR journalists with expertise in politics, national security, and the Middle East have provided […]
INTERVIEW: Terrorism Expert Randall Law
Birmingham– Recently our education reporter needed a terrorism expert for a story about a new type of bomb-sniffing dogs being developed at Auburn University, so he sat down with Birmingham-Southern College’s Randall Law, an author and a terrorism historian. Their rolling conversation covered profiling, politics, the psychology of terror and more. It was so interesting we thought […]
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.
