Israel-Hamas war

The Golan Heights is recognized by the international community — except the US and Israel — as Israeli-occupied territory captured from Syria during the 1967 war. The World’s Host Marco Werman speaks with Joshua Landis, from the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, about the significance of this contentious area.

There is likely no one among the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who hasn’t been touched by war in some way. Over 43,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, and many have been injured and displaced. Most of Gaza lies in ruins. Yet, people are persevering and nurturing each other when and where they can. 

Classes have resumed at Columbia University amid new restrictions following last year’s protests and encampments against the war in Gaza. Yasmeen Altaji, a May graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and now a freelance journalist, dedicated her final semester to documenting those protests. Altaji brings the story of one student who is resolved to continue her fight against the war despite new rules limiting protest.

Israel has conducted thousands of strikes in Gaza and Lebanon since the start of the current war last October. Footage shot by witnesses, as well as survivors’ testimonies, raise serious ethical and legal questions about some of those attacks.

In the aftermath of the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, photographer Rania Matar captured images of families whose homes were destroyed. Among her photos was one of a little girl she named Barbie Girl. Matar never saw her again until late last month, when Israel prepared to invade Lebanon once again, and she posted the image on her Instagram page.