Latest Stories

How could Ramadan affect the Israel-Hamas war?

By Hope O'Dell

In Israel and the Palestinian territories – and other parts of the world suffering from conflict – the holy month has often correlated with heightened tensions and violence.

5 minute read

Jordan is seen as a stable country in the Middle East, but fears the Israel-Hamas war could spill over to its borders

By Hope O'Dell, By Tria Raimundo

Jordan is home to the world’s second-largest per capita number of refugees and a large Palestinian population.

5 minute read

What is the Palestinian Authority?

By Hope O'Dell

The Palestinian prime minister announced on Feb. 26 that he and his council of ministers will resign from the Palestinian Authority amid declining support, which has been weakened by accusations of corruption, withdrawn financial aid, and the slow pace of progress toward Palestinian self-determination. 

5 minute read

Is the UN doing a good job? Just 33% of Americans think so, new Gallup poll shows

By Hope O'Dell

New polling conducted by Gallup between Feb. 1 and 20 finds that, compared to last year, fewer Americans think the United Nations is doing a good job at solving the problems it has to face.

6 minute read

What is the land-for-peace principle some hope will resolve conflict in the Middle East?

By Hope O'Dell

The U.S. testified at the United Nations’ court on Feb. 21, saying that Israel should not be “legally obligated to immediately and unconditionally withdraw” from occupied Palestinian territory and instead the International Court of Justice should work within the “land-for-peace” framework to issue their opinion.

6 minute read

Israel has occupied Palestinian territories since 1967; UN court considers whether that’s legal

By Hope O'Dell

The United Nations General Assembly has asked the organization’s court to give advice on what legal consequences Israel should face for its decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories. 

7 minute read

What it's like to rescues migrants at sea

By Liza Slutskaya

“No one deserves to die at sea ... seeking a safe and more humane life,” said Leona Blankenstein, tactical coordinator of Sea Watch International, an organization dedicated to search and rescue in the Central Mediterranean Sea.

1 in 5 young people around the world are NEETs. What are NEETs?

By Hope O'Dell

From the United Kingdom to China, youth unemployment has been a point of concern. But across the world there is also a growing number of young people who aren’t in school, don’t have a job, and aren’t in any sort of vocational training.

5 minute read

How I went from revenge to reconciliation

By Liza Slutskaya

Aziz Abu Sarah grew up in East Jerusalem. When he was 9 years old, his older brother was arrested on suspicion of throwing rocks and died shortly after his release from internal injuries sustained during his time in prison. “For eight years, my life was focused on revenge,” Aziz told Blue Marble. But when he was 18, he decided to study Hebrew. 

My mother's death on Oct. 7th shook me awake

By Hannah Long-Higgins

Activist Vivian Silver dedicated her life to building a path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. On Oct. 7, she was killed in the Hamas attacks. Yonatan Zeigen talked with Blue Marble about his mother's life and the impact of her death.