Phase Two of the Gaza 'Peace' Plan

By Hannah

Phase two begins. Earlier this week, discussions began in Cairo for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, in which the focus is to shift towards the long-term governance and rebuilding of the Strip. One of the key elements of this phase is the establishment of a committee of Palestinian technocrats who are to lead the transition of post-genocide Gaza. This committee would be under the overall supervision of the so-called ‘Board of Peace’ headed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

This next phase will not be easy. Other steps in phase two include the disarmament of Palestinian armed groups within Gaza, including Hamas, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, both of which are reluctant to take this step. 

An incomplete phase one. There has also been speculation about what it means to move to phase two when much of phase one is yet to be delivered. First, Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, with over 450 Palestinians killed since it came into place. Additionally, Israel has continued to restrict aid into Gaza and has banned more than three dozen international organisations from operating within the Strip, worsening the already difficult conditions. Finally, they have refused to open the Rafah crossing, preventing the access of vital aid and medicine.

Humanitarian Organisations in Tunisia's Migration Context

By Laura

Liberation from arbitrary detention. On the night of January 6th, 2026, Sherifa Riahi, former director of the NGO Terre d’Asile, and several of her colleagues were liberated after spending more than twenty months in jail in Tunisia. The humanitarian workers, held in provisional detention, had been accused of “facilitating the illegal entry and stay of migrants”  in the North African country. According to the organisation’s webpage, however, the Tunisian branch of the French NGO operates in the country supporting migrants and asylum seekers through shelter, legal assistance, and social aid. 

Humanitarian action in a shifting migration context. Historically, Tunisia has been both a country of transit and a destination for migrants, but in recent years, migration has become a controversial issue. In February 2023, Tunisian President Kais Saied publicly stated that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa entering the country illegally posed a demographic threat to the Arab-majority country. In the previous years, civil society organisations have also been increasingly portrayed as complicit in irregular migration.

Conditions of detention in Tunisia. Several organisations have raised alarms about the degrading situation in Tunisian prisons. A recent report published by the Tunisian Human Rights League warns about the increasing overcrowding, inhumane conditions, and institutionalized violence experienced in prisons, describing cells so cramped, unsanitary, and violent that they undermine basic human dignity.

Saudi Arabia Gains Hegemony in Yemen and Inherits a Secessionist Regime

By Michele

An escalation of tensions. Secessionist aspirations shook Yemen’s internal balance in late December 2025, as simmering tensions between the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)—and the two factions’ sponsors, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh respectively—escalated unexpectedly. At the beginning of December, the STC made a territorial push for control in the country’s central regions controlled by the PLC, announcing its intent to secede and a constitutional declaration on January 2nd. 

The crisis was contained. The rapid territorial gains and Abu Dhabi’s support made Southern Yemeni Independence seem achievable. However, Saudi Arabia’s swift intervention through airstrikes in Mukalla on December 30th and, most importantly, the shifting allegiance of armed factions that are key to Yemen’s balance of power, led to a collapse of STC lines and prompted the council’s leader, Al-Zubaidi, to flee to the UAE, while a Southern delegation reached Riyadh for talks, after which the STC’s dissolution was declared.

Yemen’s stability is again fragile. The precipitation of relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, two formerly close strategic partners, was unexpectedly sudden but long in the works, as divergent regional ambitions have pitted the two monarchies against each other. In Yemen, tensions revolve around Southern aspirations to regain the independence lost in 1990, fueled by grievances against the exploitation of Southern resources by Sana’a’s central government. As major Southern protests on January 16th indicate, Saudi Arabia will have to manage the secessionist sentiment if it wants to consolidate its gains in Yemen.

Shifting Lines in Syria

By Beyza

A ceasefire shaped by stalemate. Clashes in Aleppo followed the collapse of March 2025 negotiations aimed at integrating Kurdish forces into Syria’s new political framework. A renewed ceasefire and integration deal between Damascus and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) eventually halted the fighting, but on terms widely seen as unfavorable to the SDF. Days earlier, Syrian forces had declared several Kurdish-held areas “closed military zones,” a move the SDF said was intended to displace civilians rather than address security concerns.

Resources and reluctant concessions. The agreement extends beyond military arrangements to control over strategic assets. It provides for the transfer of border crossings, oil and gas fields, and detention sites holding Islamic State fighters and affiliated civilians. SDF leadership has since confirmed a withdrawal from two Arab-majority provinces, marking a broader retreat. Although US forces remain in northeastern Syria to support counter-IS operations and safeguard key energy sites, Kurdish leverage on the ground is narrowing. 

Türkiye’s security and energy calculus. The ceasefire was mediated by the U.S. and other actors amid concerns that prolonged fighting could draw Türkiye more directly into the conflict. The deal requires the SDF to expel non-Syrian figures linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), aligning with Ankara’s security priorities. This coincides with Türkiye’s plans to pursue an offshore energy exploration agreement with Syria in 2026.

Shifting regional lines. As Israel, Greece, and Cyprus consolidate an increasingly exclusive energy and security axis, Ankara’s engagement with Damascus reads less as ambition than as adaptation. The prospect of Syria-Türkiye energy cooperation highlights how exclusionary regional alignments are reshaping partnerships, pushing fragile neighbors toward pragmatic, if uneasy, accommodation.

Now, a bit of culture…

From literature to music, movies, visual arts, and digital products, MENA artists and creators offer windows into the region’s societies and daily realities. Every edition, this section sheds light on a different cultural insight: a work, a voice, or a trend that spotlights the region’s stories and perspectives. Have a recommendation? We’d love to hear from you, just reply to this email!

This time, we turn to Iran’s epic literature, with a cornerstone of Iranian culture and identity.



Abu al-Qasem Ferdowsi (c. 940–1020) was one of the greatest Persian poets of all time and the author of the Shahnameh (“The Book of Kings”). He spent over thirty years composing this monumental epic in Persian, preserving Iran’s pre-Islamic history, mythology, and cultural memory at a time when much of it risked being lost. Ferdowsi is regarded not only as a poet but also as a guardian of Iranian identity, language, and historical consciousness.

The Shahnameh portrays larger-than-life heroes like Rostam, who embodies strength, loyalty, and sacrifice. Yet these stories are not only about ancient battles and mythical creatures; they explore resistance against injustice, loyalty to truth, and the moral weight of choice in times of crisis. Ferdowsi’s heroes are constantly tested by tyranny, internal decay, and the suffering of the innocent. In this sense, the Shahnameh speaks across centuries: framing heroism not merely as physical power, but as endurance, ethical responsibility, and the refusal to surrender one’s humanity. Ultimately, it is about preserving dignity and identity through struggle.