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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite stories for this weekly newsletter.
(noun) armed conflict between countries or groups
In the Middle East, the year 2024 will go down as one of the most destructive years in modern history. Tens of thousands were killed and millions were driven from their homes. Many invaluable lives have been disrupted.
The massacre began in late 2023 after a Hamas attack on October 7 in Israel, with Palestinian militants killing about 1,200 people and capturing 250 people. Guns have rarely been silent since then.
Israel retaliated with a massive offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza that has killed more than 44,000 people and reduced the besieged enclave to a wasteland.
After October 7, the military movement Hizbollah then started firing towards Israel in cooperation with Hamas, as another side opened up on the Israel-Lebanon border. Iranian-backed coalition forces, including Houthi rebels in Yemen and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, have fired missiles, rockets and drones at Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli forces and Jewish civilians have intensified their attacks and attacks on the West Bank.
As the conflict continued to spiral, Iran and Israel exchanged direct fire for the first time in April. They repeated this action in October, with great ferocity.
A month earlier, Israel had stepped up its offensive against Hizbollah. It killed leader Hassan Nasrallah, launched airstrikes across Lebanon and attacked the south of the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted that he was changing “the balance of power in the region for years”.
The US-brokered ceasefire began to work to end the Israeli-Hizbollah war on November 27. But that did not silence the guns. Each side accused the other of breaching the agreement. Israel continued to bomb southern Lebanon.
Hours after the ceasefire went into effect, another war reigned, with Syrian rebels fighting for years. In less than two weeks, dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, sparking hope and joy – but bringing more uncertainty.