Author: Beatrice Ala

Beatrice graduated in Political and Economic Geography at Sapienza University of Rome, while simultaneously attending the Sapienza School of Advanced Studies. She left Rome driven by my passion for international relations, geopolitics and the Middle East. Beatrice now attend the Ca' Foscari Master MIM – Crossing the Mediterranean, which allowed her to travel restlessly for two years between Italy, Tunisia and France. She lived in Susa, Tunisia, for three months: here Beatrice improved her Arabic and deepened her interest in strategic dynamics in the MENA region.

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Israel’s Pyrrhic Victories: Does Making a Desert Give You Peace?

By Beatrice Ala 2 October, 2024 2 October, 2024 0

After the Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon and the retaliatory airstrikes by Iran, the region seems more than ever on the verge of fallout.
Israel keeps switching its targets while increasingly engaging in the conflict, always winning battles but never truly finishing the war. It seems stuck in a series of Pyrrhic victories: they inflict such a devastating toll on the victor that any true sense of achievement is denied and long-term progress is irreparably damaged. There is no strategy, only one goal: survival, at every cost.
Is the Israeli attempt to eliminate and make a clean slate of every enemy -which it’s not even realistic- really enough to finally be reassured? Will Israel ever truly stop fighting? And how can the total destruction of everything around create solid foundations for the future?

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The Expanding Front: Israel, Lebanon, And The Regional Escalation Of The Conflict

By Beatrice Ala 5 July, 2024 5 July, 2024 1

The intense phase of the war is moving towards Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where mutual attacks between Iran-backed group Hezbollah militias and the IDF army are now escalating, raising concerns about the possibilities of a regional, transnational and multilevel war.

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How Many Retaliations Create A War? Israel And Iran’s Deterrence Dilemma

By Beatrice Ala 19 April, 2024 19 April, 2024 0

Israel has carried out a military strike on Iran in response to Tehran’s attack last Saturday. While no material damage seems to have occurred, this mutual show of force that prioritizes war deterrence over de-escalation increases dramatically the level of tension in the region.

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Lights And Shadows Of The Strategic Partnership Between Egypt And The EU

By Beatrice Ala 27 March, 2024 27 March, 2024 1

On the 17th of March, the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed a Joint Declaration for a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, covering several areas of interest and unleashing billions of euros for investments.

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When The Besieged Becomes The Besieger: How Destroying Gaza Could Backfire And Jeopardize Israel’s Foreign Relations

By Beatrice Ala 7 March, 2024 9 March, 2024 3

Israel spent the last fifty years working to normalize regional relations and alleviate the innate tension around the birth of the Israeli State. But now, just as Netanyahu’s government is conducting the most aggressive military operation in Gaza, the web of regional relations built so laboriously is starting to tremble. How are Israel’s foreign relations being shaped by its approach to this conflict?

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The Knot of The Arabian Peninsula: The Intricate Waterways of Yemen and Qatar

By Beatrice Ala 21 January, 2024 21 January, 2024 0

The 100-day threshold has been passed: since October 7, when the latest phase of the conflict in Gaza began, the situation has evolved on multiple levels. As the echoes of the conflict have widened, regional and international actors become increasingly involved. Once again, the waters of the Middle East are turbulent, reflecting an unstable geopolitical situation.

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The UAE’s Ambivalent Strategy: Between Oil Security And Green Transition

By Beatrice Ala 27 December, 2023 5 May, 2025 0

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted in Abu Dhabi the 28th edition of the UN-sponsored Conference of the Parties (COP28), the largest global conference on climate change. The Emirates’ strategy is highly ambivalent, and mirrors a regional reality that is solidly tied to the oil trade but intends to repurpose itself as a global hub for new energy sources for the transition.

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New geometries in the Middle East: energy security between conflicts

By Beatrice Ala 22 November, 2023 22 November, 2023 0

The latest resurgence of the Middle East conflict can be framed in an already uncertain global scenario, where heightened geopolitical risks for commodity markets are related to structural energy security issues.

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Resurgence of the Israeli-Palestine conflict: implications and consequences in a regional balance more precarious than ever

By Beatrice Ala 27 October, 2023 27 October, 2023 1

On October 7, the military group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on Israel. The regional sphere is crucial to the evolution of the conflict. The Israeli-Palestinian war has always been an ideological clash in the region, lining up two sharply opposing factions; now, despite the strategy of normalization with the Arab neighbors brought forward by Israel in recent years, an escalation on a regional level could become a very serious matter. Overall, the resurgence of this conflict has left the world wondering what is the role and responsibility of the international community.

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The new axis of power: four MENA countries join the BRICS group

By Beatrice Ala 29 September, 2023 29 September, 2023 2

The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 22–24, 2023. The latest summit marked a turning point in the membership debate, as six more countries will join the BRICS as of January 2024. With Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joining, the BRICS countries will be able to express an economic, financial, and demographic weight that will unavoidably redraw the power balance.