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.

Israel strikes Syria’s capital Damascus
The Israel military said targets included a Syrian military compound in Damascus as well as a target near the Syrian presidential palace. Israel’s defense minister said “painful strikes have begun.”
Israeli settlers beat U.S. citizen to death in West Bank
A 21-year-old Florida man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while visiting family in the West Bank.
Yemen's Houthi rebels say bulk carrier Magic Seas that they attacked Sunday has sunk
Yemen’s Houthi rebels say a ship they attacked on Sunday with bomb-carrying drone boats and missiles has sunk into the Red Sea. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Magic Seas sank on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet President Trump Monday
President Donald Trump says he is hopeful to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal this week. In his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump could outline a plan for Gaza after 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
Knives, bullets and thieves: the quest for food in Gaza
NPR's Gaza producer faced Israeli military fire, private U.S. contractors pointing laser beams at his forehead and masked thieves as he tried to get food from a U.S.-supported group.
Hundreds of thousands mourn top Iranian military commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes
Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran for the funeral of top Iranian commanders and scientists killed in a 12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Hossein Salami and missile program head Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh were paraded Saturday through the city.
At least 60 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
Palestinian health workers say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 60 people in Gaza. Strikes on Friday and Saturday hit areas sheltering displaced people, with dozens of bodies taken to Gaza hospitals.
As Iran and Israel fought, people turned to AI for facts. They didn’t find many
AI-generated videos of fighting between Iran and Israel went viral, and people asked chatbots if they were real. "What we're seeing is AI mediating the experience of warfare," said one researcher.