Today, President Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. The two leaders should ask themselves: Who won the Hamas-Israel war? Robert Satloff explains in Times of Israel why defining victory in Gaza is hardly simple.

From a distance, the current situation in Yemen may appear to be a purely internal affair. It is not, writes April Longley Alley.

Three months after Israel and Hamas agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the strategic outcome of the war remains uncertain. Who won the war? It is too early to definitively answer the question, writes Institute executive director Robert Satloff in a new report.

📺What's for Lebanon's foreign policy agenda? Tune in on Thursday, December 23 at 12pm ET for a timely webcast with His Excellence Youssef Raggi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Republic of Lebanon.

Tunisia has been witnessing an uptick in protest movements. Washington can take useful and forward-looking steps to help the country significantly without investing substantial resources, writes Sabina Henneberg.

"But given Yemen’s strategic location on the Red Sea corridor and its proximity to Washington’s key Gulf allies, the Trump administration cannot afford a policy vacuum," writes April Longley Alley in @foreignaffairs.com.

New from Michael Singh in Providence: "The conventional wisdom following two years of war provoked by Hamas is that peace and stability in the region depend on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But this is a two-way street."

📺Tune in on Tuesday, December 23 at 12pm ET for a must-watch webcast with H.E. Youssef Raggi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Republic of Lebanon.

We are also accepting applications for the Summer 2026 intern class! Interns are assigned to Institute research programs based on their skills and interests. Applications accepted until February 15, 2026. Check out our website for more:

🧵We are now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Research Assistant class. Applications accepted until February 15, 2026. RA positions are geared towards recent B.A. graduates. Start dates will be in late summer of 2026. Current opportunities include:

Tunisia has been witnessing a gradual but notable uptick in protest movements. What can the U.S. government do to help Tunisia? Sabina Henneberg explains.

New from April Longley Alley in @foreignaffairs.com: "As the dust settles from Israel’s war in Gaza, the Houthis are notable outliers."

📺Tune in on Tuesday, December 23 at 12pm ET for a conversation with H.E. Youssef Raggi on the critical issues on Lebanon’s foreign policy agenda—including the disarmament process, the potential for peace, and more.

New from Sabina Henneberg: "Given President Kais Saied’s apparent scorn for the country’s traditionally strong partnerships with the West, the increasing public discontent may offer opportunities to restore a more promising trajectory."

The Trump administration has reframed U.S. policy in the Middle East, and this new approach is outlined in the National Security Strategy, write @lizydent.bsky.social and Amb. Dennis Ross. Washington can take the following steps to fully realize its ambitions: 1/2

📺Tune in on Tuesday, December 23 at 12pm ET for a must-watch webcast with H.E. Youssef Raggi, who has served since February as Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants.

📺Tune in on Tuesday, December 23 at 12pm ET for a must-watch webcast with H.E. Youssef Raggi, who has served since February as Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants.

"Even under the best of circumstances, building a capable Palestinian security force for this mission will be extremely challenging and take years to complete," writes Michael Jacobson.

"Governments—in Europe and beyond—that hope for peace and stability in Gaza should be working vigorously to identify and disrupt Hamas’s financial and support networks in their territories," write @mattlevitt.bsky.social and Michael Jacobson in @lawfaremedia.org.

🎧 Andrew Tabler spoke with Here & Now's Indira Lakshmanan about the deadly attack on U.S. troops in Syria and the current state of IS.

"In short, the success of phase 2 and the long-term survival of the ceasefire will depend on a combination of immediate security stabilization, gradual disarmament, and the transfer of authority to a reformed PA," writes Neomi Neumann.

Senior #Hamas leader Osama Hamdan: "There is not a single leader inside Hamas opposing the 7 October decision, neither secretly nor publicly" monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/b000...

New from Amb. Dennis Ross and @lizydent.bsky.social: The Trump administration’s new policy approach to the Middle East, outlined in the National Security Strategy, shifts the U.S. focus from military presence, counterterrorism, and security integration to “partnership, friendship, and investment.”

We are accepting applications for our Summer 2026 intern class! Applications will be accepted until the March 1, 2026 deadline. Learn more about this opportunity and apply:

Are you interested in learning more about U.S. policy in the Mideast? We are accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Research Assistant class. RA positions are geared towards recent B.A. graduates with interest and background in Mideast and U.S. foreign policy. Start dates in late summer of 2026.

If Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi meet this month, Washington should press both leaders to treat the summit as the beginning of a more structured approach on Gaza stabilization and broader regional diplomacy, writes Haisam Hassanein.

European countries are designating and prosecuting Hamas’s financial lifeline, but far more needs to be done, write @washinstitute.bsky.social’s Michael Jacobson and Matt Levitt.

Cutting Off #Hamas’s European Fundraising Spigot www.lawfaremedia.org/article/cutt... @lawfaremedia.org @washinstitute.bsky.social

Handled carefully, an Egypt-Israel summit could reanchor U.S. MidEast strategy, align bilateral objectives in Gaza & generate diplomatic momentum. If mishandled, it risks reinforcing perceptions of drift & deepening mistrust - Haisam Hassanein www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

Scholars & former officials explain how to move the Gaza ceasefire to Phase 2. Clarity on US oversight, intl stabilization force, Israeli red lines, Hamas opposition to multinational proposals & more. W/ Amb. Ross, Neumann, Jacobson, al-Omari & Yaari www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

New from Souhire Medini: "For the first time since its inception in November 2024, the U.S.-French mechanism tasked with monitoring the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement has undergone a significant transformation."

"Following Israel’s ferocious fall 2024 assault on Hezbollah, Washington had high hopes for Lebanon. It would be best to lower them," writes David Schenker in Asharq al-Awsat.

"Ultimately, the future welfare (and wealth) of the Syrian nation and its people greatly depend on peacefully integrating the northeast," write Amb. James Jeffrey and @devorahmargolin.bsky.social.

📺 Tune in on Tuesday, December 23 at 12pm ET for a special conversation with His Excellence Youssef Raggi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Republic of Lebanon.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, @azelin.bsky.social has conducted two field research trips across seven Syrian governorates. A new report draws on his firsthand observations along with written and oral sources to assess governance under the transitional authorities.

"The only way forward is to build more trust and for the new Syrian government to continue to show it takes the safety of the Christian community seriously," writes @azelin.bsky.social in @hooverinstitution.bsky.social Caravan.

In The National Interest, David Makovsky explained that for the Gaza ceasefire to survive, each side will need to discredit its own in-group spoilers.

What steps can Washington take to help Syria address challenges related to institution building and governance? In a new report, @azelin.bsky.social offers recommendations for U.S. policy. 1/4

Iran has entered its sixth year of drought. Today’s empty reservoirs stem from years of poor water management by the clerical establishment, writes @hdagres.bsky.social in @postopinions.bsky.social.

What led to the Assad regime collapse? Last year, Andrew Tabler explained in @nytimes.com that at the heart of the fall was the dictator’s rigidity and unwillingness to keep up with a changing society.

As the new government in Syria enters its second year, it should prioritize expanding its institutional capacity and minimizing corruption, said @azelin.bsky.social. 📺Watch the full webcast or read a summary:

In case you missed this yesterday. Great weekend read ahead of the December 8 anniversary.

Check out my new article for @hooverinstitution.bsky.social: "Christians in the New Syria: Accepted, But At-Risk" hoover.org/research/chr...

New from @azelin.bsky.social in Caravan: "The situation for Christians in this new Syria is complicated, although it is not the same as if the Islamic State or al-Qaeda was ruling the area."

📢JOB ALERT! We're hiring a Media Relations Associate. We're seeking an enthusiastic professional with a passion for public affairs who is cool on deadline and excels at juggling the demands of a busy media-relations operation. Learn more⬇️

Following the degradation of Iran’s regional power projection capabilities, stabilizing Syria is the most critical issue facing the Middle East, said Amb. James Jeffrey. 📺Watch the full webcast or read a summary: www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

New from Noam Raydan and Amb. James Jeffrey: Two months after the reopening of the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, an oil tanker carrying crude oil from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and sailing from the Turkish port of Ceyhan discharged at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port terminal.

🔗Check out @azelin.bsky.social's report for more on Syria’s new institutions and governance apparatus: www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

A year after the collapse of the Assad regime, Syria’s transitional leadership can claim tangible successes, but a pervasive shadow government, opaque economic practices, and uneven accountability for former regime crimes threaten to undermine this progress, writes @azelin.bsky.social.

Washington can work on two tracks to salvage the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement: the immediate track of disarmament, and a longer-term track to establish the conditions for peace between the two countries, write Hanin Ghaddar and Assaf Orion. This approach should include the following: 1/5