War between Israel & Hamas | Where you can get informed & make donations
Since the brutal terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel on 07 October 2023, war has officially broken out in the Middle East. In response to the attacks, the Israeli army is taking massive action against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip. The people suffering the most are the civilian population. At the same time, the renewed flare-up of the conflict that has existed since Israel’s founding in 1947 is also generating international tensions. Not only between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli people on the street, but also between states that have to take a position on the conflict.
What matters now: staying informed & supporting civilian aid
To help you gain an objective overview and stay informed in this charged situation, we present a series of contributions in the form of podcasts and articles. They explain the origins of the Middle East conflict, report on daily events and put them in an understandable context for you.
When selecting the contributions, it was a priority for us that different perspectives are taken into account and that there is no one-sided reporting. Do you have recommendations for further independent media reports on this topic? Then send them to us at hello@vostel.de or leave a comment below this post.
In addition, it is of course also important to support organizations that work for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip but also for intercultural understanding here in Germany. For this purpose, we have compiled a list of organizations that you can support with a donation.
>> to the articles on the Israel-Palestine war & background information
>> to the list of organizations to which donations can be made
1. reports on the Israel-Palestine war & background information on the Middle East
Articles on the history of the Middle East conflict and the context of current events
In its report, the Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung Baden-Württemberg (German) provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of the Middle East conflict that can be found online. This includes a timeline of historical developments in the Middle East, an overview of conflict causes and dimensions, and current events since 07 October 2023.
The BBC News (English) provides a more compact overview of the development of the Middle East conflict in its article and supplements it with informative maps. In addition, breaking news on the Israel-Gaza war is published here regularly in the “Israel Gaza War” section.
Independent magazine on politics, culture and society in the Middle East
zenith Magazin is an independent magazine that has been reporting on the Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim world since 1999. The magazine has been providing its German-speaking readers with analyses, reports and key topics on politics, culture, economics and society ever since. For some time now, the magazine has also been reporting in English and Arabic in order to contribute to a lively exchange between cultures and societies, but it is not as current as it is in German.
The magazine’s online presence also includes reports on current events surrounding the war in Israel and Palestine in the Middle East.
Weekly podcast to contextualize current events and historical background in the Middle East (German)
Every Saturday, just in time for the weekend, the FUNK podcast summarizes what was important in the past week. Together with guests from the funk network and beyond, it looks at the week and frames the most important news.
In the context of the escalated violence in the Middle East, the podcast provides extensive reports on the Israel-Palestine war as well as the reactions to it here in Germany and internationally. Especially recommended is the special episode “Understanding the Middle East Conflict” (also on Spotify), which is very helpful to understand the long history and background of the conflict.
Groundwork Podcast: Stories from Palestinian and Israeli Peace Activists (English)
In the second season of their podcast Groundwork, the hosts give voice to people who are on the front lines of conflict in Israel. They talk about Israel’s right-wing government, the rise of the religious Zionist party Otzma Yehudit and the increasing violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank. It also covers their personal work and activism for the peace process.
Even though this is not about the latest developments since October 7, the podcast gives a very close insight into the life and work of activists in the area.
Daily news updates on developments in the Middle East with background information and interviews with experts (German)
The Zeit-Online podcast “Was Jetzt” (also on Spotify) reports on the latest global developments twice daily, every morning and afternoon. The current focus is on the Middle East conflict and the background of the war between Israel and Palestine. Together with international experts, they talk about the latest developments and assessments of the situation. For us, this is a great opportunity to stay up to date with short contributions on a daily basis.
2. Donate to organizations on site and in Germany
Doctors without Borders | Medical aid on site
Despite catastrophic conditions, the Doctors Without Borders team treats severely injured people and supports hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Currently, however, the work is severely limited due to ongoing air strikes. During this time, the staff on the ground are collecting medical and humanitarian supplies to send to the Gaza Strip as quickly as possible.
DRK & Palästinensische Rote Halbmond | Care for the civilian population on site
The Palästinensische Rote Halbmond provides first-aid to injured people in the Gaza Strip and operates two hospitals. In addition, the PRH distributes relief supplies such as blankets, mattresses, hygiene kits, water canisters, kitchen sets and food packages to people in need. The DRK will provide support in the form of aid deliveries across the border from Egypt as soon as it is reopened for transports.
ERAN | Emotional First Aid for People on site
The events in the Middle East are an enormous emotional challenge, especially for the people in the area, and are particularly difficult to endure. The organization ERAN offers emotional first aid via telephone and online, in Arabic and Hebrew.
ALLMEP | Palestinian-Israeli Peace Movement
ALLMEP is a coalition of over 170 organizations – with tens of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis – that promote cooperation between people, coexistence, equality, shared society, mutual understanding and peace in their communities. By donating, you are supporting peace activists to fight for sustainable peace solutions, especially now.
Transaidency | Palestinian-Israeli Dialogue in Germany
Also here in Germany, the renewed war in the Middle East has its effects. It reveals not only frightening anti-Semitic attitudes but also clear anti-Muslim racism. Transaidency e.V. wants to counter this and is engaged in intercultural exchange with the aim of breaking down hostile images and prejudices. They are currently doing this with trialogues on Israel and Palestine at schools, where they listen to students, ask unbiased questions and contextualize the events. You can support this important work with a donation.
forumZFD | Peace Initiative in cooperation with local partners
forumZFD has had an office in East Jerusalem since 1999 and is active in both Israel and Palestine. The association works on an equal footing with partners from local civil society: NGOs, grassroots organisations, social movements, activists and artists. Through campaigns, lobbying and public relations, they work together actively in favour of a civil peace policy.
Thank you for your
support of the people
in the Middle East!
Your team from vostel.de
Thank you for this useful information. A peacebuilding strategy that can not be achieved through donations is explained by Austrian peace researcher Franz Jedlicka in his publications: to reduce or eliminate the violence that is occurring already in the families of a country. He has examined the hight livel of violence against children in Palestine, that can be seen in UNICEF data.
Hello Walter, thank you for contributing this additional point of view. Fighting (physical an psychological) violence at an early stage is surely an important factor for reducing the general level of tension and aggression. However, given the history and progression of the conflict with their different partys and interests, there are several layers of peacebuilding needed. In the current situation humanitarian aid is essential to guarantee survival. Beyond that there is various organisations looking to contribute to the peace process in other areas, such as intercultural exchange, psychological support or also educating children. Is there any read or organisation that you would like to share here?