Israel

Following the ceasefire, trauma on both sides demand an antidote. Religious diplomacy may offer such a antidote.

Israeli airstrikes on the 2nd of January, 2025, killed at least 68 people in Gaza, including Mahmoud Salah, the head of Gaza's Hamas-controlled police force and his deputy, Hussam Shahwan, amidst escalating violence and a humanitarian crisis in the region.

Despite a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. in November 2024, Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the truce with Hezbollah through shelling, airstrikes, and demolitions, while Hezbollah grapples with regional shifts, the collapse of Assad’s regime, and diminishing influence, exacerbating Lebanon's diplomatic and cultural challenges.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to skip the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz underscores the tension between international legal obligations and national sovereignty.

Israel’s closure of its diplomatic mission in Ireland highlights growing international pressure, with Ireland and other countries recognising Palestine, supporting an ICJ case on alleged genocide in Gaza.