Al Majalla covered Hamas’s acceptance of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. With global pressure pushing for an end to the war, even amongst Israel’s traditional allies in the West, as seen with several states recognising Palestine and growing impatience with Netanyahu’s refusal to end the war, will Israel finally see the deal through? In his piece Allies' anger over Gaza tests US support for Israel, Christopher Phliips writes: “Trump may be willing to accept global isolation to keep supporting Israel, but at some point, he may conclude that he isn't getting enough from Netanyahu in return.”  For his part, Brian Katulis asks: Will Trump’s red line over West Bank annexation hold? He advises observers not to hold their breath, given the fact that Israel continues to put facts on the ground in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem without any restraint from Washington. 

Meanwhile, Steve Hewitt profiles former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has been pegged to play a key role in the proposed governing structure of Gaza’s day after. Needless to say, critics remain sceptical of his intentions and abilities, given the controversial role he played in post-war Iraq. And Samer Abou Hawwach explains Why more celebrities are speaking out on Gaza. In his piece, he says, “Fans increasingly expect their idols to speak up on issues that matter to them and are not afraid to boycott to get their point across, meaning celebrities can no longer hide behind neutrality.”

Onto Syria, and Caroline Rose pens a piece titled Sharaa gets warm UN welcome. But can he break the ice in Congress? In it, she says, “Facing a legitimacy crisis both at home and abroad, the new Syrian administration may find that the road to full acceptance and sanctions relief will be a long one.” And Ibrahim Hamidi interviews AANES Foreign Affairs Chief Ilham Ahmed, who discusses what she believes is the way forward for Syria and its governing structure and the lingering points of contention with Damascus. Meanwhile, Mimoza Al-Arrawi interviews Syrian painter Elias Izoli on his latest exhibition, which she describes as an “exploration of balance”.  Izoli explains how his work has been shaped by the tragedies that are unfolding across the world.

And Con Coughlin looks at Europe’s response to Russian airspace threats, where some leaders are calling for a strong response—like erecting a drone wall—while others caution against overreacting and provoking a hostile response from Moscow. In Economy, Mohamed Sharki explains why Europe is eyeing closer trade with North Africa. For his part, Sharif Mohammad pens a piece titled Digital dilemma: the Middle East is at a crypto crossroad. He says, “There are vastly different approaches to digital assets across the region, with some still reticent to embrace a $4tn industry.” And SRMG CEO Jomana R. Alrashid becomes the first Saudi to be named to TIME’s annual TIME100 Next list, which features 100 emerging leaders shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science, activism, and more.

Switching hemispheres, Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra pens a piece titled From friends to foes: the unravelling of US-Venezuela ties. In it, she says, “From close military cooperation to coup attempts and now literal gunboat diplomacy under Trump, Al Majalla tracks the evolution of the relationship between Caracas and Washington over the decades.”