Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.
Israel says it is denying aid to Hamas. But in reality, it is engineering Gaza’s mass starvation through blockade, proxy violence, institutional collapse and deadly deceit.
Lebanon is at a crossroads. While Hezbollah is facing enormous pressure to give up its weapons, there are no guarantees that the national and regional interests of all sides will be protected, especially given Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon.
Abu Dhabi seeks to present itself to the West as a stable alternative to an increasingly rogue Israel, where defense cooperation and capital can flourish.
Iran’s strike on Qatar marks the Gulf’s first state-to-state military action in decades, shifting Doha’s threat perception of its neighbor and underscoring the urgent need for regional defense integration.
The lives of Gazans hang in the balance as an Israeli-American militarized aid scheme plunges the population deeper into famine and lays the groundwork for its forced displacement.