Middle East

| GATEWAY TO THE EAST

An Israeli air raid struck an apartment on the southern outskirts of Beirut. The target was Haytham Ali Tabataba'i, chief of staff of the pro-Iranian party. Washington and Tel Aviv are against the Lebanese leadership, which has not yet managed to disarm Hezbollah. The Pope's imminent visit rules out any immediate escalation, but fears for the future remain.


Despite the ceasefire declared in Gaza, violence continues to engulf the region, not only in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but also in Lebanon, where Israel recently bombed the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, killing at least 13 people. Against this background, an ecumenical group of Palestinian Christian leaders spoke out on the recent UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which they deem insufficient and restrictive.

| 19/11/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE

Following the UN Security Council's approval of the Gaza plan, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman travelled to the United States for the first time since the Khashoggi murder. At the centre of his talks with Trump are multi-billion dollar defence, technology, and artificial intelligence deals, including the sale of F-35s, previously reserved exclusively for Israel. Riyadh is playing a central role in regional dynamics without formally joining the Abraham Accords.

| 18/11/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST

A report by the Haaretz newspaper revealed the involvement of Al-Majd Europe, an NGO with phoney headquarters, commissioned by Israel’s Voluntary Emigration Bureau and COGAT to organise departures from Gaza as part of a broader scheme to resettle Palestinians, who were unaware of their final destination. Previous flights also reached Indonesia and Malaysia via Romanian airlines.

| 17/11/2025
| GAZA – ISRAEL
by Fady Noun

Traditionally a moment of joy and sharing between generations, olive harvesting has collapsed due to the war between Hezbollah and Israel. The Israeli military, which launched fresh attacks in the area yesterday, is stifling any attempts at recovery and preventing the reconstruction of border villages and the regeneration of the land. Despite such difficulties, for farmers, the olive season is a way of affirming, “we still exist”.

| 07/11/2025
| LEBANON - ISRAEL

According to a report, at least 600 workers have been without a salary for months. Those who protested were arrested and detained, then released. The "actual number" of those who are not paid "could be significantly higher", expert said. A source: "We didn't know that calling for a strike was a crime. They accused us of trying to overthrow the state.”

| 06/11/2025
| SAUDI ARABIA
by Dario Salvi

It was launched by educator and activist Jina Achji, who wanted to “offer a space” capable of bringing together and uniting “all communities”. The idea took its first steps in Aleppo in 2012 and has now spread to Hama and Homs. The invitation is to live ‘the present and reality’ by putting aside the ‘lost dream [...] for an imaginary land’.

| 04/11/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
Editor's choices
 
by Nirmala Carvalho
Fr Susai Jesu, a missionary with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, was called by Leo XIV to lead the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas. Since 2007, he has lived his ministry among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, participating in the journey ...
| 19/11/2025
| INDIA – CANADA
 
by Sumon Corraya
A court in Dhaka convicted the former prime minister of "crimes against humanity" for her role in the crackdown of student protests in July 2024. As a result, the capital was placed under lockdown, while clashes and protests erupted across the city. ...
| 17/11/2025
| BANGLADESH
 
by fr. Hiroshi Konishi *
On the day celebrating the Jubilee of the Poor, a priest from the Diocese of Tokyo reflects on how he included the night-time “tent city” in St. Peter's Square in the Holy Year itinerary with a group of fellow countrymen. ‘An invitation ...
| 16/11/2025
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
 
by Fady Noun
The expectations of the people of Beirut two weeks before the Pope's arrival. Sadness over a brief and heavily guarded visit: ‘Will he really be able to see the country as it is, or will they give him the false impression that everything is ...
| 14/11/2025
| LEBANON - VATICAN
 
by Silvia Torriti
From a niche hobby introduced by Japan, the trend of dressing up as comic book characters or historical figures from ancient times continues to grow among young people in China, fuelling a market that is now worth over billion. The local variant ...
| 12/11/2025
| CHINA
 
On the eve of the climate summit, China unveiled its goals for the environmental transition, including a 7-10 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and a further acceleration in the development of renewable energy, a sector in which ...
| 07/11/2025
| BRAZIL - CHINA
 
Just days after signing a deal with Thailand to defuse the (simmering) conflict over the disputed border, the US administration revoked the measure adopted in 2021 by the Biden administration. The ban was linked to China’s Ream naval base, but ...
| 06/11/2025
| CAMBODIA – UNITED STATES
 
In his victory speech, the young Muslim politician quoted Nehru from his independence speech, emphasising his ties to his parents' country of origin with Bollywood music in the background. The new mayor embodies an image of Islam that breaks with ...
| 05/11/2025
| INDIA – UNITED STATES
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”