Can mediation cut through conflict in the Middle East?

Can mediation cut through conflict in the Middle East?

In Gaza, a fragile ceasefire comes with great uncertainty for the future. In Yemen, the Houthis are abducting humanitarian workers and journalists in a witch hunt for alleged spies. And in Syria, a new and unstable political landscape could go either way.

“It's not easy to build peace. It's much easier to stop a war,” says Martin Griffiths, executive director of Mediation Group International.

The former under secretary general for humanitarian affairs at the UN speaks to The National’s editor-in-chief Mina Al-Oraibi in this special episode of Beyond the Headlines.

They discuss the instrumental role of mediation, not only to resolve conflicts in the Middle East, but to ensure peace will follow. Mr Griffiths draws insights from his decades-long career in the humanitarian field to reflect on current events in the region. He talks about the diplomacy model set by Gulf countries and about opportunities to reform a UN in crisis.

Episoder(478)

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The Israel-Gaza conflict and the US’s position in the Middle East

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Hamas, Israel, and where the war goes from here

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We’re almost six weeks into the Israel-Gaza war and few believe it will end any time soon. Calls for ceasefires from the international community have fallen on deaf ears and hostage release negotiatio...

17 Nov 202332min

How is the Israel-Gaza war seen from a US viewpoint?

How is the Israel-Gaza war seen from a US viewpoint?

The US is feeling the pressure of the war in Gaza because of the way President Joe Biden is deemed to be handling the conflict. In the days after the October 7 Hamas attacks, Mr Biden visited Israel a...

10 Nov 202326min

A month into the Israel-Gaza war, what happened so far?

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A month ago, the military wing of Hamas attacked the Israeli border on October 7th, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and igniting a brutal war. Israel retaliated through a relentless bombing of Gaza a...

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Gaza’s human battle and what is expected from Hamas

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