Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel strikes south Lebanon after 2 soldiers killed Tehran says Iran, Oman agree on Hormuz shipping route; US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's IRGC; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Israel-Lebanon talks suspended amid escalation, set to resume Thursday The Israeli delegation asked the American representatives to suspend the direct talks with Lebanon for a few hours over alleged leaks by Beirut. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Hormuz to reopen after ‘very good’ Iran talks Turkey submits draft law that would bring PKK peace; UN says Iran executed at least 56 people since March; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Netanyahu’s Gaza double game: Back Trump, reassure Israel’s right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to both give the impression that Israel retains total freedom of action in Gaza while allowing the Board of Peace to move ahead with President Donald Trump’s peace plan. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Lacking leverage over Trump, Israel stays quiet on US-Iran talks By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Analysis How strike on Damietta port exposes Egypt's energy infrastructure risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis No Iran commitment, no Trump endorsement: Netanyahu leaves US empty-handed By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US will veto Palestinian UN bid The US debated which course of action would distance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the most from another term in office, especially in view of the Palestinian bid in its most “extreme draft” to the UN and the American veto power. Palestine
Israeli ultra-Orthodox party locked in internal battle Ahead of Israeli elections, the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri is determined to drive away former Shas Chairman Eli Yishai, despite the political price to be paid by an already declining party. Israel
Israeli attack intensifies Syrian anger, despair Syrians on social media mock “right to respond”; US says Syrian rebels will not overthrow Assad; Syrian patriarch pleads for peace; Russia steps up diplomacy; Jumblatt sees no future for Assad; Turkey’s shadow government; Qatar and Turkey draw congressional ire over support for Hamas. Qatar
Washington, Europe will wait to see if Bibi stays or goes Until the March 2015 elections in Israel, the United States and Europe will attempt to balance nonintervention and expressing policy positions relevant to the Palestinian issue. Palestine
The true power couple of the Israeli elections Former Minister Moshe Kahlon’s quiet alliance with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman is part of a move that might crown them as kingmakers who will determine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fate. Israel
Iran's role in Yemen draws Israel, Saudi Arabia closer The Houthi takeover of the Yemen port city, the tribe's strong ties to Iran and its latest contacts with Palestine Islamic Jihad have both Israel and Saudi Arabia worried. Saudi Arabia
Rajoub: Abu Ein's death will spark uprising, not violence Senior Fatah officials blame Israel for the death of Palestinian Cabinet Minister Ziad Abu Ein, as does Jibril Rajoub, who says that in spite of the death of a “man of peace,” the nonviolent uprising will continue, while Israel fears escalation. Palestine
On Israel's left, Herzog is Livni's real electoral challenge The ''anyone but Bibi'' trend sweeping Israeli politics lately might harm the Likud Party and help Labor and opposition leader Isaac Herzog, but according to polls it does not reduce the overall size of the right-wing camp. Israel
In natural gas, all pipelines go through Turkey Natural gas from Iraq is to reach Turkey in 2017, Azeri gas is to arrive in 2018 and Iran, Russia and Israel also want to sell their natural gas via Turkey. Iraq
Arab parties push for unity ahead of Israeli elections As the Knesset prepares to debate proposed laws that would significantly damage political activity by the Palestinian parties, Arab members weigh their options while debating ways to increase their collective power in parliament. Israel
Israel, PA seek to prevent Hamas from igniting West Bank Joint security efforts in the West Bank between the Palestinian Authority and Israel aim to prevent Hamas cells from instigating strife. Palestine
Bennett a divider, not a uniter Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett’s speech at the Saban Forum indicates that in the upcoming elections, a vote for the right means perpetuating the rule of an ethnocentric camp determined to enclose Israel in a mental ghetto. Palestine