Middle East

The war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza directly impacts many Minnesotans. And while MPR News does not have journalists stationed in the region, we do have a responsibility to our audiences to report on how this ongoing conflict affects people here. Our goal is to provide MPR News audiences with a variety of perspectives, context and factual information. We are committed to using language that is as precise as possible.

As you will see here, the majority of the coverage on our air and our website is provided by our national and international news partners, NPR and the BBC. The language and terminology used to describe the conflict are changing. If you have questions or concerns about our coverage please reach out to us.

April 23, 2024 6:55 AM

Pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. college campuses following mass arrests at Columbia

Columbia University canceled in-person classes and police arrested dozens of students at New York University and Yale as tensions over Israel's war with Hamas continue to grow on U.S. college campuses.

by The Associated Press

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April 22, 2024 3:49 AM

Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent Oct. 7 attack

The head of Israel's military intelligence directorate resigned on Monday over the failures surrounding Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, the deadliest assault in Israel's history.

by The Associated Press

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April 19, 2024 4:12 AM

Israel launches missile strikes into Iran, U.S. military official says

A senior U.S. military official confirmed to NPR that the Israeli military had conducted missile strikes against Iran. But little else is known about the extent of the strikes and any potential damage, as both Israel and Iran appeared to downplay the attack on Friday morning.

by Tom Bowman, Rob Schmitz and Peter Kenyon

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April 18, 2024 3:13 PM

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter suspended over pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia

Several students involved in the protest said they were also suspended from Columbia and Barnard College, including Isra Hirsi, who is the daughter of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat.

by The Associated Press

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April 15, 2024 7:58 PM

Twin Cities anti-war group demonstrators call on U.S. to avoid retaliation against Iran

Twin Cities anti-war groups say the U.S. should not take part in any retaliatory strikes on Iran following its drone and missile attack on Israel Saturday, which followed Israel’s airstrikes on Iran’s embassy in Damascus. More than 100 people took part in a demonstration in downtown Minneapolis Monday evening.

by Matt Sepic

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April 14, 2024 8:10 AM

Iran's attack on Israel raises fears of a wider war, but all sides have also scored gains

The unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday ratcheted up regional tensions. It confirmed long-held fears about the Israel-Hamas war spiraling into a broader conflagration.

by The Associated Press

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April 13, 2024 4:10 PM

Biden will meet with his national security team as US pledges 'support' for Israel against Iran

President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay in Delaware to monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel. Tensions are at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago after a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals.

by The Associated Press

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April 13, 2024 3:40 PM

Israel shoots down missiles and drones after Iran launches unprecedented attack

The Saturday launch, a major escalation in the conflict in the Middle East, comes after Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed retaliation for an earlier strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria.

by Becky Sullivan

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April 13, 2024 6:49 AM

How Iran and Israel became archenemies

Iran blames Israel for a strike on its Syria consulate, and has vowed to retaliate. Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution transformed previously cordial relations between Iran and Israel to fierce hostility.

by Peter Kenyon

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April 10, 2024 2:49 PM

6 months into war, Palestinians face high unemployment and a ‘disastrous’ economy

A Palestinian Authority official says there are around 700,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza who have gone six months without work since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7.

by Jaclyn Diaz

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