Erstellt am: 22. 8. 2014 - 13:22 Uhr

"Beyond anything we've ever seen"

Reality Check: the threat posed by Islamic State; a glimmer of reconciliation amid Middle East death and destruction.

• The threat from the Islamic State

EPA/Aj Moa

An Iraqi man prays at the Al-Noori Al-Kabeer mosque, next to a flag used by the Islamic State (IS), in Mosul city, northern Iraq.

Islamic State militants represent a threat “beyond anything we’ve ever seen” says US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel. The top U.S. military official, General Martin Dempsey has described IS as an organisation which has “an apocalyptic end-of-days strategic vision”. On Sunday, Britain’s David Cameron said the UK should use its military prowess to tackle the militants. How should we read all this hawkish rhetoric? A question for international security analyst Shashank Joshi:

• The young voices of Middle East reason

Since fighting between Israel and Hamas erupted on July 8, more than two thousand Palestinians have been killed, nearly a quarter of them children, and 67 Israelis. After a brief respite and a short-lived ceasefire, there are now signs that Israel is preparing to step up its campaign. Elsewhere, there are initiatives to promote reconciliation, such as a recent gathering in Vienna which brought together young Muslims and Jews from around the world. Nick Schwarz reports: