MERIP updates

NEW: ‘Our Compass is Broken’—Israel’s Ongoing War on South Lebanon

Dear Friends and Comrades,  Amid the escalating US and Israeli war on Iran, the Israeli invasion of South Lebanon is intensifying. In addition to drone and missile attacks in Beirut, Israel is carrying out a combined ground and aerial campaign aimed at creating a so-called buffer zone up to the

James Ryan, Susann Kassem • 2 min read

Lebanon

'Our Compass is Broken'—Israel's Ongoing War in South Lebanon

Every day since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in 2023, my father, like many other villagers from Lebanon’s south, has listened to the news in the hope of hearing that he can return to our village along the border of South Lebanon and rebuild our house.

Susann Kassem • 12 min read

MERIP updates

Kicking Off Delco Gives 2026-Support Our Work!

Dear Friends and Comrades,  Today marks the beginning of Delco Gives, a fundraising campaign sponsored by the Foundation for Delaware County in which MERIP is participating. While much of MERIP’s work is spread out over the country and the globe, we relocated our base of operations as a 501(

James Ryan • 2 min read

Current Analysis

War Across Boundaries–Perspectives on Iran and a Region Under Siege

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, initiating a war with wide-ranging consequences for Iran and the broader region and devastating effects for their populations. Already, millions have been displaced and thousands killed. But this war is not a sudden rupture. It is the

The Editors • 28 min read

NEW: MER 317, "Reconstruction and Ruin"

Dear Friends and Comrades, Today we are releasing our Winter 2025 issue of Middle East Report, “Reconstruction and Ruin.” This issue includes essays, dispatches and interviews that offer a grounded examination of the impact of war and reconstruction efforts (or lack thereof) on everyday people across the region. From Gaza

James Ryan • 2 min read

Building from Scrap, Building Through Crisis

On Umut Kuruüzüm’s materialist ethnography of war and reconstruction, 'Building from Scrap: War, Recycling, and Labor in Iraqi Kurdistan.'

Mujge Küçükkeleş • 11 min read