Fast Facts: Violence in Syria, and Israel’s intervention
July 23, 2025 | AIJAC staff
After a Druze individual was attacked en route to Damascus on July 12, violence erupted in and around the predominantly Druze city of Suweida, in southern Syria. What started as tit-for-tat kidnapping and violence between Druze and Bedouins became mass violence, with Syrian Government and Bedouin forces from across the country involved in massacres. The violence also brought about an Israeli intervention in defence of the Druze. By July 20, a ceasefire seemed to be holding, though approximately 1,100 people were reportedly killed during the week, including almost 200 who were killed in ‘field executions’.
Fact Sheet: Why did Israel attack Iran?
June 26, 2025 | AIJAC staff
In short, Israel acted when it did for two main reasons: A determination that Iran was close to the ‘point of no return’ in its quest for nuclear weapons capability; and concern about Iran’s ballistic missile program eventually reaching a point where it could overwhelm Israeli defences and create mass casualties – even without nuclear weapons
Fast Facts: Australian newspaper ad part of Amnesty International’s ongoing anti-Israel crusade
June 5, 2025 | AIJAC staff
On May 31, Amnesty International ran a full-page ad in multiple Australian newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald, Age, Courier-Mail, West Australian, Canberra Times and Advertiser, demanding that the Australian Government “Not risk being complicit in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza”, among other demands.
Fast Facts: New Gaza aid distribution system begins
June 1, 2025 | AIJAC staff
‘Fast Facts’ are snapshots of rapidly evolving situations. This specific page will not be updated, but we are monitoring developments…
Fast Facts: Aid back into Gaza – what we know
May 21, 2025 | AIJAC staff
The current resumption of aid delivered via UN agencies and NGOs is expected to continue until a new method of distributing aid is rolled out in the coming weeks. Israel prevented virtually all aid entering Gaza from 2 March until May 19. Its rationale for doing so was that there was enough aid stockpiled in Gaza to last for several months, and that Hamas had been stealing large proportions of aid that was entering Gaza.
Fact Sheet: Recently released hostages reveal stories of horrific mistreatment
March 4, 2025 | Alana Schetzer
Many details of what the hostages went through are yet to be revealed; families have reported that their loved ones are not ready to talk, some are mentally unresponsive, plus there remain concerns for the safety of the remaining hostages who are still alive in Gaza if certain details are disclosed publicly.
Fast Facts: The ceasefire for hostages deal just reached between Israel and Hamas
January 16, 2025 | AIJAC staff
On January 15 2025, many hours after Israeli approval, the terror group Hamas finally agreed to a brokered deal, which would see Hamas gradually release 33 of the 98 Israeli hostages remaining in captivity in Gaza from among those taken during Hamas’ pillaging of southern Israel on October 7 2023, in return for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails and a six-week Israeli ceasefire and withdrawal from large portions of the Gaza Strip.
Fast Facts: What’s happened in Syria and how will it affect the region?
December 9, 2024 | AIJAC staff
Establishing control over the entirety of Syria will be very difficult for the country’s new rulers. Over and above the numerous jihadi groups, many ethnic and religious minorities armed themselves during the civil war to protect their villages and local autonomy (during the height of the Syrian civil war, there were over 1,500 armed groups in Syria).
Fast Facts: Recent Israeli legislation on UNRWA
October 31, 2024 | AIJAC staff
Commentary about the new Israeli legislation ‘banning UNRWA’ has mischaracterised the scope of the laws, the idea that UNRWA is irreplaceable, and the Israeli concerns about UNRWA. This factsheet provides some corrective information.
