Hamas attack in Israel

Official relations and public perceptions have both taken huge damage since the October 7 attack by Hamas and Israel’s massive military deployment in Gaza.

From recruitment to possible ideological shifts to opportunistic cyberattacks, a prolonged conflict in the Middle East may have serious consequences for the region.

From Delhi in 1857 to Gaza in 2023, the colonial playbook remains largely unchanged.

India this time around has taken a much stronger pro-Israel stand than is typical during Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.

Like the rest of the world, most Asia-Pacific states supported the resolution, making the exceptions especially interesting.

The geopolitical picture increasingly resembles that of 1973 – a traumatic experience that Japan wants to avoid reliving.

Tokyo is caught between a diplomatic rock and an economic hard place.

Pro-Israel content – including disinformation – is being widely shared on social media by Indian nationals, more significantly by right-wing Hindu nationalists.

Video and weapons seized suggest that Hamas using Pyongyang's F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon that fighters typically use against armored vehicles.

Seoul is urging the swift and peaceful resolution of the conflict, fearing regional and global spillovers. But the Yoon government is also careful not to take sides.

China's position on the current conflict, and the Israel-Palestine issue more broadly, is not unusual. So why is it attracting so much attention?