Salma Eissa is a Middle East Research Manager at ACLED and has been with the organization since October 2017. Salma has an MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She has over 10 years of experience in the Egyptian civil society and research and academia sectors and has a keen interest in political analysis and trends and patterns of political violence in the MENA region. She is fluent in Arabic and English.
The ceasefire in Gaza held in October as low-level violence continued, while the ceasefire in Lebanon approached one year under strain, and settler violence against olive harvesters in the West Bank reached a record high.
Israeli activity in Gaza declined amid daily pauses, Iraq saw the most serious intra-Kurdish confrontation since 2003 ahead of elections, protests in Israel failed to shift war policy, and Israeli strikes killed the Houthi prime minister in Yemen.
In July, aid-related violence surged in Gaza, Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province saw a spike in political violence, drones disrupted oil production in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria’s al-Suwayda faced mounting sectarian violence, and the Houthis resumed attacks in the Red Sea.
Analysis of conflicts in Gaza, Iran-Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and the West Bank with a focus on aid-related violence and military actions.
Q&A with ACLED Middle East Research Manager Salma Eissa on the nature of violence in Gaza since the collapse of the ceasefire on 18 March.
Q&A with Salma Eissa about the violence in Gaza and the implications of the current conflicts.
In April 2025, violence intensified in Gaza amid an expanding Israeli buffer zone, sectarian tensions rose between the Syrian government and Druze militias, and US airstrikes skyrocketed amid continued Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Overview of recent conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen with detailed analyses and data.
Watch the recorded webinar held on 29 May 2025 for in-depth analysis of these developments, the evolving strategies of Palestinian armed groups, and the political dynamics driving the escalation — followed by a Q&A.
