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.

A woman mourns as she carries the shrouded body of a child killed following overnight Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 6.

Why the U.N. revised the numbers of women and children killed in Gaza

May 15, 2024 2:55 PM

Here’s a closer look at the United Nations’ breakdown of casualties. The overall total of more than 35,000 Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, based on Gaza Health Ministry figures, has not declined.

An Israeli army soldier walks past a main battle tank stationed at a position near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on April 30.

How Israel's military investigates itself in cases of possible wrongdoing

May 15, 2024 6:26 AM

Since last October, complaints have included Israeli soldiers firing on unarmed Palestinian refugees and the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers when Israeli drones fired on their convoy.

A patient in European Gaza hospital this weekend — the last functioning hospital in Rafah. Staff placed an insect zapper above his bed to keep away the flies.

Trapped in Rafah, U.S. medical volunteers say they can’t save lives and can’t evacuate

May 13, 2024 6:18 PM

At the European Hospital in Rafah, there are shortages of pain medication, antibiotics, even bandages, American volunteers say they are unable to save lives — and unable to evacuate to safety.

A Palestinian boy sits near the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Al-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday.

In Gaza, a hidden threat could kill Palestinians even after a cease-fire

May 13, 2024 4:01 AM

By Lauren Frayer and Anas Baba

The United Nations says 7,500 metric tons of unexploded ordnance litter the Gaza Strip. The U.N. says it could take 14 years to dispose of these dangers.

Graduate students and demonstrators at the University of Texas at Austin protest the war in Gaza after walking out of commencement at the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Austin.

Student protests caused mostly minor disruptions at several graduation ceremonies

May 12, 2024 3:57 PM

By Rebecca Rosman

From California to North Carolina, students staged chants and walkouts over the weekend in protest of Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza.

A person stands on a bridge holding a palestinian flag

What could divestment from Israel look like at Minnesota universities?

May 9, 2024 4:00 AM

What is known about Minnesota universities’ connections to Israel and how do they compare to connections at other U.S. colleges? How would cutting those ties work? We answer those questions and more.

Ammer Qudummi was arrested at a UT Austin protest on April 26, but all charges have been dropped.

How these University of Texas-Austin students view Gaza war protests on their campus

May 8, 2024 1:44 PM

By Mansee Khurana

As campus protests against Israel’s war spread to colleges across the U.S., NPR’s Leila Fadel speaks with University of Texas at Austin students, on both sides, about their concerns and demands.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah, Gaza Strip, this past Monday.

U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah, official says

May 8, 2024 2:01 AM

By The Associated Press

The shipment was supposed to be 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to an official, with the U.S. concern being how the explosives could be used in a dense urban setting.

A woman carries a child as she walks through the al-Hol refugee camp in northeastern Syria in October 2023.

After years in a Syrian ISIS camp, a 10-person American family is back in the U.S.

May 7, 2024 3:29 PM

By Sacha Pfeiffer

The complex deal also brought home two sons of a Minnesota man who fought for ISIS.

a protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of a crowd

Expert: University of Minnesota agreement with protesters is ‘quite remarkable’

May 7, 2024 2:25 PM

By Cathy Wurzer and Megan Burks

University of Minnesota administrators are expected to begin disclosing the school’s investments in publicly-traded companies based in or doing business with Israel on Tuesday. It’s part of an agreement they reached last week with pro-Palestinian student protesters.