Hezbollah's role in the Israel-Hamas conflict
This fact sheet, written last May, looks at the role played by the Lebanese Hezbollah, a local and regional player, in the current conflict in the Middle East. It briefly outlines the history of the organisation and its relatively cautious initial involvement in the Israel-Hamas war. However, the events of the last few days have raised fears of a major military escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The strategic importance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
This fact sheet highlights the strategic importance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It describes the importance of this area, which is critical for world trade, analyses the way in which the Strait is currently being used at low cost by the Houthis in Yemen, and concludes with the prospects for developments in the situation, particularly in terms of intervention.
Foreign interference and disinformation in Europe
This fact sheet looks at foreign interference and disinformation in Europe. It presents the actions taken by the various European institutions, particularly during the last term of office of the Commission and Parliament, including the legislative framework and collaboration with the media and civil society, certain limits, and future development prospects.
The European Parliament and defence
This fact sheet looks at the role played by the European Union (EU) and in particular the European Parliament in defence matters. It briefly reviews the history of "Defence Europe" and recent developments, particularly in terms of financial and budgetary instruments, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Finally, it analyses the possible impact of the European elections on the future of European defence cooperation.
The European Union and economic sanctions against Russia
This factsheet looks at economic sanctions against Russia. It presents the sanctions policy practised by the member countries of the European Union (EU) and the G7 and details the rationale behind the implementation of sanctions against Russia, the latest package of which was decided at the beginning of June 2024. Finally, it shows some of the limits of the actions of the "Western alliance" against Russia.
The Israeli missile defence shield
This fact sheet looks at the Israeli short-range missile defence system known as Iron Dome (Kippat Barzel in Hebrew). It describes the history and characteristics of the defence system, including its use in the current Israel-Hamas conflict, some of its limitations, and the prospects for its future development.
