Is Bashar al-Assad's isolation on the world stage coming to an end? The Syrian dictator has been shunned by the international community since 2011, when his regime brutally crushed anti-government protests, triggering the civil war in Syria. But in recent months, a growing number of countries have been coordinating with Assad's government. Saudi Arabia is expected to invite Assad to the Arab League summit next month, 12 years after Syria was suspended from the organisation. Our Foreign Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert tells us more.

The rehabilitation of Assad? Syria's efforts to end regional isolation

Political and social events from the Middle East, with exclusive reports and interviews. Tuesday at 5:45pm Paris time.

News & Politics

For this final edition of Middle East Matters, we bring you a series of reports from our correspondents in the region. We begin in Israel, where as the war in Gaza drags on, divisions in Israeli society are growing more stark. Immediately after the attacks of October 7, the vast majority of people supported the government's decision to pursue Hamas aggressively. But a growing, vocal minority argues the government's strategy is not working – particularly when it comes to rescuing the Israeli hostages. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel reports.

Israel, Lebanon, Turkey: Reports from our correspondents

Around a dozen donor countries are freezing funding to UNRWA, the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, after Israel alleged that 12 UN staffers took part in the October 7 Hamas attacks. The UN has fired the employees in question and promised a full investigation. The budget cuts come at a profoundly challenging time. A quarter of the population of Gaza is starving, and UNRWA is the biggest aid provider in the enclave. Unless funding resumes, the agency says it will have to stop its operations in the coming weeks. We take a closer look and speak to Johann Soufi, who ran UNRWA's legal department from 2020 until last year.

Allegations against UNRWA: Future of biggest Gaza aid provider in jeopardy

From Lebanon to Iraq and Syria, the ripple effects of the war between Israel and Hamas are being felt, but nowhere more so than Yemen. For months now, Houthi rebels there have been firing missiles at cargo ships in the Red Sea, prompting the US and UK to bomb targets inside Yemen this past weekend. FRANCE 24 spoke to Dr Elisabeth Kendall, a Yemen specialist at the University of Cambridge.

Attacks in the Red Sea: After US-UK strikes, what next for Yemen?

The International Court of Justice is to hold hearings this week on a case brought by South Africa, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and seeking a halt to its military campaign. Israel has described the allegations against it as "baseless" and intended to stir up lethal hatred of Jews. FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon tells us more about South Africa's decision to file the case, the Israeli response and what's likely to happen at the hearings.

With case filed to ICJ, South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza

In this edition, we look at the ripple effects of the war in Gaza. In the Red Sea, Houthi rebels from Yemen are stepping up their attacks on vessels in the vital shipping lane, saying they're doing so in protest at Israel's actions in Gaza, even though many of the ships in question are not Israeli-owned. Might that lead to a wider conflict? We speak to Abdul Ghani Al-iryani, senior researcher at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies.

The rehabilitation of Assad? Syria's efforts to end regional isolation

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