According to an article published by AP News on March 5, 2024, called “Gaza cease-fire talks fail to achieve a breakthrough with Ramadan just days away, Egypt says,” written by Samy Magdy, Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, Israel and Hamas have not been able to negotiate a cease-fire in Gaza, leading to a worse humanitarian crisis. This negotiation has also failed right before the start of a significant holiday celebrated by many in the Muslim community, Ramadan. The war has been ongoing for 5 months, and many in Gaza are lacking vital supplies like food, water, and medical supplies. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have spent weeks trying to come to an agreement in which Hamas release up to 40 hostages in return for a 6-week cease-fire, the release of some Palestinian prisoners, and allow more aid into Gaza. The war has created many political tensions internationally, especially between Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.

Ramadan is a holy month celebrated by Muslims, and is observed as a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.

We’ve talked about how political tensions can have affects on international business, especially trade. For example, if a country does not agree with a policy or an action another country is making, they can enforce economic sanctions, which restict trade. Although the article does not specifically mention economic actions the countries are making, I’ve read in other articles that the US has enforced sanctions on countries involved. My main take away from the article is that Hamas is strict in their demands for a cease-fire. They refuse to compromise for a 6-week cease-fire, instead wanting Israel to completely end their offensive. This makes me think that the Israel-Hamas conflict will not likely end soon, since both countries seem stubborn in their efforts to persist. Unfortunately, this also means the humanitarian crisis will only worsen, which should be one of the main priorities in minimizing.

Protests around the world have emerged to speak out about the humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza.

Since the article was by AP News, which tends to be down the middle, the article was not very biased towards either side. The article reports on the situation how it is, which is dire for many different communities: those suffering in Gaza, the hostages from both countries, and many others around the world who have family and friends stuck in the conflict. The conflict is very important to international affairs, since many Middle Eastern countries are involved in the situation, from housing refugees to delivering aid to Gaza. The fact that Israel and Hamas could not agree to a cease-fire before Ramadan is also unfortunate because it is a Holy month for the Muslim community. The tensions reach all the way to the US, where Israeli and Palestinian communities are rallying and protesting, and even more locally, Chicago became the largest US city to call for a cease-fire. Boycotts against companies that support the different countries have also affected companies like McDonald’s and Starbucks, affecting the American economy. Overall, the Israel-Hamas war has had a lot of impact on millions of people all over the globe.