From the Gaza war to the Al-Ula agreement, defining moments in 2021

During this year that is about to end, tensions have not decreased significantly in the turbulent Middle East, but at the same time, some positive trends have occurred with the achievement of Gulf reconciliation.. Know the details.

From the Gulf reconciliation to the aggression on Gaza and the events in Sudan, these were some of the moments that shaped the Middle East this year.

During this year that is about to end, tensions have not decreased significantly in the Middle East, but at the same time, some positive trends have occurred in the Gulf with the achievement of Gulf reconciliation.

The return of relations between Qatar and other Gulf states has also helped strengthen diplomacy between Tehran and Riyadh, whose interests clash across countries in the region from Yemen to Iraq and Lebanon.

The increased diplomacy also led to other positive efforts that took place between Turkey and Egypt as the two countries began a formal rapprochement process last May. In November, Ankara and Abu Dhabi also decided to normalize relations after they worsened following the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016.

On the contrary, in the occupied territories, Israel continued to escalate its aggression against the Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem to the Gaza Strip, and even launched a brutal air campaign against the Strip, which left hundreds of martyrs and injured.

Gulf Reconciliation

On January 5, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Egypt, signed an agreement with Qatar in the Saudi city of Al-Ula with the aim of restoring relations with Doha, and this was followed by mutual visits between the Emir of Qatar and the Saudi Crown Prince.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a complete blockade on Qatar, after accusing the latter of having ties to Iran, as well as supporting "terrorist organizations", which Doha has repeatedly denied.

The events of Sheikh Jarrah and the war on Gaza

The forced displacement by the Israeli occupation authorities of the Palestinian residents from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, an old neighborhood located more than nine centuries ago in occupied Jerusalem, led to the outbreak of another round of tensions in the region.

Last May, the Israeli occupation authorities raided the homes of Palestinians by a decision of an Israeli court, which the residents and their supporters faced with fierce resistance, sparking a wave of protests throughout Palestine from Jerusalem to the West Bank and finally Gaza.

But this time, the Palestinians were not alone. Many people from all over the world, from the United States to Western European countries, rose and went out in demonstrations opposing the Israeli displacement in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and in support of the Palestinian cause.

Sheikh Jarrah's confrontation also extended to Gaza, which has long been subject to an Israeli land, sea and air blockade. The resistance in the Gaza Strip responded to the Israeli occupation’s aggression in Jerusalem by firing hundreds of missiles at Israeli cities as far as Tel Aviv. This was followed by intense Israeli bombing from land and air, which led to hundreds of martyrs.

At least 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, were martyred due to the Israeli military aggression and tens of thousands were displaced to other areas. More than 1,900 Palestinians were wounded. Thirteen Israelis were killed and 200 wounded, according to Tel Aviv.

After 15 days, Israel stopped its aggression against the Gaza Strip under tremendous international pressure.

Netanyahu's departure

In 2021, another significant development occurred in Israeli politics. Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, exited the political scene after four consecutive inconclusive and unprecedented elections.

The hard-line Benjamin Netanyahu faces various corruption charges, and although he learned of the indictment filed against him in early 2020, he has never shown any willingness to leave office.

After the last elections in March, Naftali Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu, was able to bring together various forces from the far left to the far right to form a coalition government in an unexpected move that finally ousted the Likud leader.

Despite his departure, many still believe that his hardline views continue to dominate Israel.

Sudan events

Last October, the army ousted Sudan's interim government, which was formed after protests that toppled former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

Where the Supreme Commander of the armed forces in the country, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, overthrew the government of Abdullah Hamdok, which was established after an agreement between military leaders and protest leaders in August 2019.

But the military faced fierce opposition from the street, which forced Al-Burhan, who was subjected to strong international pressure, to approach Hamdok to restore him to power.

After the initial rejection, Hamdok, backed by Western allies, decided to accept Burhan's offer. Although the agreement supports the interests of the military, it also promises the release of all political prisoners since the October coup.

But the citizens who reject the rule of the army opposed the Hamdok-Burhan deal, and continued to protest in the streets, prompting Hamdok to threaten the possibility of him stepping down.

Turkish and Emirati rapprochement

Despite differences on various issues, the two countries decided to find common ground to normalize relations between them last month, especially after they witnessed a decline in escalation between them following the signing of the Al-Ula agreement with Qatar and the Gulf reconciliation.

Turkey and Egypt, an ally of the United Arab Emirates, also launched exploratory talks to normalize relations between them, which apparently strengthened the rapprochement between Ankara and Abu Dhabi.

In November, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, and announced at the time an investment fund in Turkey worth $10 billion, in addition to concluding several agreements to enhance cooperation in various sectors such as the energy and health sectors. .

Postponement of the Libyan elections

In the latest major developments in the region came the decision of the Libyan High Elections Committee to postpone the long-awaited elections in the country due to insufficient preparation to hold them.

Despite the commission's decision to postpone the elections for at least a month, it has not announced any official announcement of its schedule so far. The elections aim to end the war that has exhausted the country and the ongoing disputes over its leadership. But the ongoing tensions so far suggest a difficult task.

The Tripoli government, backed by the United Nations and the forces of Khalifa Haftar, had agreed, after years of violent fighting, last March, to form a government of national unity that would theoretically oversee the electoral process and a peaceful transition to democratic rule.