Middle East

The announcement comes alongside approval from the U.S. Secretary of State for Israel to buy $18.82 billion in military equipment. Deliveries of the Boeing-made F15IA jets are set to begin in 2031.

In the year since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack, Israel's war in Gaza has killed 42,000 Palestinians and led to a humanitarian crisis. KCUR's Up To Date spoke to members of Kansas City's Palestinian community about how they're feeling and how the war has impacted them.

Today marks one year since the Hamas terrorist attack that killed over 1,200 people in Israel, and sparked a war that's killed 42,000 people in Gaza and more in Lebanon. Jews in Kansas City shared with KCUR's Up To Date how the past year of conflict has reshaped their community.

As conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates in Lebanon, members of Kansas City's Lebanese community say they're worried for their loved ones still in the country. Rayan Makarem says his evening routine now consists of watching the war and texting his friends and family members.

Middle Eastern food is bright, fresh, and aromatic, and represents a vast geographic region and an array of diverse cuisines. Here’s where to find the metro’s best shawarma, falafel, baba ghanoush and so much more.

Mayor Quinton Lucas threatened to veto the ceasefire resolution and another item recognizing the work of a Kansas City nonprofit that's been providing medical aid in Gaza. Palestinian groups have been calling on Kansas City Council to support a ceasefire for months.

After marching through the Country Club Plaza over the weekend, protesters will gather Thursday in the Kansas City Council chambers. They’re pressing for official recognition of the Palestinian American Medical Association and urging Mayor Quinton Lucas and the council to support a ceasefire.

Ramadan, which began March 10, is a sacred and joyous time for followers of Islam. However, with the war in Gaza nearing its sixth month — and with no ceasefire in sight — some Kansas City Muslims say the holy month is different this year.

About 500 people joined Al-Hadaf KC, a Palestinian-led group that helped plan the rally, in calls for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and an end to what they call Israeli occupation. The group has spent months rallying support for the Palestinian cause.

The protests temporarily stopped a speech being given by Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, consul general of Israel in Miami, to members of the Missouri House and Senate. Activists had come to the Missouri Capitol to testify against a series of pro-Israel resolutions being heard by lawmakers.

Students for Justice in Palestine, a newly-recognized student group, has led efforts at UMKC to call for a Gaza ceasefire. Leaders say they're making inroads with their fellow students, but argue the university is not doing enough to protect them from Islamophobia and potential retaliation.

Palestinian and Muslim students say that UMKC's silence on the war in Gaza is leaving them vulnerable to discrimination. Plus: A recent Forest Service report says that climate change will cause older trees to release more carbon dioxide, but conservationists aren't so sure.