Trump Heads to the Mideast as Gaza Starves, Student Protests Grow, India-Pakistan Tensions Rise

Amid Israel’s ongoing bombardment, famine conditions, and the near-total collapse of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, on Monday, May 12, the Israeli military assassinated renowned Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslayeh in an airstrike on Nasser Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

The next day, Israeli forces killed 12-year-old Mohammed Bardawil, an eyewitness who had testified to the Israeli military’s execution of fifteen paramedics, rescue workers, and UN staff in Rafah in March 2024. Mohammed had told investigators that some of the paramedics were shot at point-blank range—“from one meter away.”

After his administration met directly with Hamas to negotiate the release of U.S.-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, Trump arrived in Riyadh on May 13, kicking off a four-day Middle East tour. Following his stop in Saudi Arabia, Trump is expected to visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He has claimed the trip will secure “$1 trillion” in investment for the U.S.

Meanwhile, calls to end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid and genocide continue, as campus protests spread and escalate nationwide. On May 7, pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied the main library at Columbia University. Around eighty people were arrested, and some students have been suspended.

This week also saw a dramatic military escalation between India and Pakistan—the most intense in decades—marked by drone and missile exchanges. The hostilities have now paused under a fragile ceasefire.

Tune in to hear Drop Site’s journalists and correspondents break down these developments and more—and check back every Tuesday to stay informed.