This region is one of the „hottest“ in the world. Endless wars in recent decades, which have involved a large number of states, including those located outside of this region led to a huge quantity of victims, destruction, humanitarian crises, and the spread of diseases. The number of refugees and displaced persons reaches tens of millions.

Without going into too much history, there has been a serious military standoff between Israel and Hamas. The conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which caused significant casualties and destruction. Israel responded with massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, which also caused numerous civilian casualties. Continued Israeli attacks forced nearly 2 million Palestinians to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip throughout 2024. At least 220 UN personnel were killed in these targeted Israeli attacks. Nearly 100,000 Lebanese were displaced from their homes in the south of the country due to Israeli shelling. Meanwhile, some 63,000 Israelis were internally displaced from the north of the country due to Hezbollah rocket fire. More than 1 million Lebanese fled their homes in a matter of days amid Israel's invasion and bombing in the end of 2024. The situation remains extremely tense, and experts warn of the possibility of further escalation of the conflict involving Iran and some other Muslim countries.

In the confrontation between Israel and the Arab world, in which Iran, the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are actively participating at various levels, in addition to the question of Israel's existence as a state, economic reasons are also visible:

• Resources and Trade: Control over natural resources such as water and oil is an important factor. For example, access to water resources in the region is often a subject of dispute.[2]
• Economic Sanctions and Blockades: Economic sanctions and blockades imposed on Palestine and other Arab countries have a significant impact on their economic development and stability.[3]
• Investment and tourism: The conflict has hurt investment and tourism in the region. In Israel, for example, the mobilization of reservists and the constant threat of violence have reduced the country's appeal to investors and tourists.
• Geopolitical Alliances: Economic interests also influence the formation of geopolitical alliances. For example, the improvement of relations between Israel and some Arab countries, such as the UAE and Bahrain, is due to the economic benefits of cooperation.

There is significant internal opposition in Israel, especially in the context of the current military operations. The internal opposition includes various political parties, social movements, and civil activists who express disagreement with government policies and military operations. These groups frequently organize protests and demonstrations and are active in public debate and the media.

Opposition may arise for a variety of reasons, including humanitarian concerns, economic implications, and political disagreements. It is important to note that in a democratic society such as Israel, opposition and public debate are a normal and important part of the political process.

Amnesty Reports International mentions the use of unlawful force to suppress peaceful protests in Israel. Measures can be quite harsh, including detentions of activists, and the use of tear gas and rubber bullets. In some cases, human rights violations such as excessive use of force and restrictions on freedom of speech are also reported.

Syria has its oil, natural gas, and phosphates. However, its main problem is its important strategic geographic location - gas pipelines with cheap hydrocarbons from Qatar to Europe can pass through it. Several gas pipeline projects were proposed, for example, from Qatar through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria to Turkey and then, to Europe. Due to the clash of interests of Turkey, Russia, Iran, the United States, Israel, and the European Union, Syria has been in a protracted civil war for the past decades, gas pipeline projects have not been implemented, and the Syrian economy is destroyed, with huge civilian casualties. In 2013, the Kurdish population in Syria created its autonomy, known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and has an army of 100,000 supported by the United States. The Syrian authorities considered it illegal.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, more than 306,000 civilians have died as a result of the conflicts from 2011 to 2021. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as of 2021, about 6.6 million Syrians have been forced to flee the country. Most of them have found refuge in neighboring countries such as Turkey (3 million Syrian refugees), Lebanon, and Jordan. As a result of Turkey's active support for the opposition, it attempted a successful armed coup in late 2024. President Bashar al-Assad fled, and Iran's role in this crucial region was lost. Russia's political game is not entirely clear - it is quite possible that, according to secret agreements, Russia has somehow linked the events in Syria and Ukraine in a way that is acceptable to itself. Two Russian military bases remain in Syria, but they do not take part in the hostilities. The armed opposition has seized power, and its future is not entirely clear. Control over the situation in Syria has passed into the hands of Turkey, the United States (oil extraction and refining companies), and Israel, which is waging intense military operations in Syria to create a buffer zone. The number of victims, displaced persons, and economic damage in the recent period has yet to be calculated, but it is likely to be quite significant.
Conclusion: the cause of the tragedy in Syria is the economic and strategic interests of a group of countries, management errors, and the inability of the former Syrian leadership to confront these challenges. As a result, Syria is torn apart and may well cease to exist in its current form.

Iraq. Operation "Desert Storm" (Operation Desert Storm ) was carried out in 1991 by the international coalition led by the United States to liberate Kuwait, which had been occupied by Iraq in August 1990. The main reasons for the operation included economic interests. Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait, accusing it of illegal oil production and demanding the write-off of debts accumulated during the Iran-Iraq War. This move raised concerns in the international community about the stability of the Persian Gulf region and the security of oil supplies. After the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, uprisings broke out in Iraq among Shiites in the south and Kurds in the north, which were brutally suppressed by the government of Saddam Hussein. The scale of Iraqi losses is about 40 thousand people including military force and civilians. Sanctions and destruction caused by the war led to a serious economic and humanitarian crisis.
Conclusion: The tragedy in Iraq is caused by the economic and strategic interests of a group of countries, management errors, and the inability of the former Iraqi leadership to confront these challenges.

Libya. Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 as a result of the uprising that became part of the wider protests and revolutions known as the “Arab Spring.” The reasons for his overthrow included his tough authoritarian regime and the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, which inspired Libyans to protest against Gaddafi's regime. In March 2011, the UN adopted a resolution allowing the use of force to protect the civilian population, and NATO began airstrikes against Gaddafi's forces, significantly weakening his position. One of the main reasons for Gaddafi's death and the subsequent coup d'état was his advancement and creation of alternative currencies for Africa, which could replace the US dollar and euro in international trade. He proposed creating a gold dinar to be used as a unified currency in African countries. This initiative was part of his broader strategy for strengthening economic independence in Africa and reducing dependency on Western financial systems.

In recent years, there have been several attempted coups in Libya. One of the most significant occurred in 2014 when various armed groups and political factions fought for control over the country. This period was characterized by chaos and instability, leading to the division of the country into competing governments and armed groups. According to some estimates, about 30,000 people were killed as a result of the conflict, and by 2014, the UN estimated that internally displaced persons in Libya numbered around 400,000. Many Libyans also fled to neighboring countries and Europe, seeking security and stability.

Conclusion. The main reasons for the death of Muammar Gaddafi and the subsequent collapse of the country, leading to its subordination to two main political and military forces, were his adventurous international economic policies and the presence of significant oil reserves. Turkey, Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Italy are trying to establish an economic and civil order in Libya. The US has also actively participated in Libya's internal affairs, especially after the overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011, conducting operations against terrorist groups such as ISIS and providing humanitarian aid.