Israel announces destruction of underwater Hamas tunnel

Palestinian analysts believe that Israel announced the destruction of a recently discovered underwater tunnel in the Gaza Strip as part of a media strategy aimed at deflecting attention from its response to Gaza border protests.

Palestine

Indonesian cleric’s call for compassion lost in controversy over Jerusalem visit

During a visit to Israel, Yahya Staquf, leader of the world’s largest Islamic organization, expressed his vision for the peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and his strong support of the Palestinian cause.

Palestine

Palestinians skeptical of humanitarian efforts in Gaza

Israel and the United States have indicated that they seek to ease the blockade on Gaza and improve the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, but Palestinians question their real intent.

Palestine

Israeli bill forbids documentation of IDF abuses

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman claims an Israeli bill criminalizing the filming of Israeli soldiers is meant to protect them from harm, but human rights workers point out that it will also shield them from prosecution.

Palestine

How changing West Bank name could advance peace

The struggle between the Greeks and the Macedonians of the former Yugoslavia over what the latter should call their state can serve to remind Israelis and Palestinians that nomenclature — i.e., the West Bank versus Judea and Samaria — does not determine borders or stop historical necessity.

Palestine

Can PA's push for e-payments help ease its cash crunch?

The Palestinian Authority has approved a plan to promote the use of electronic payment methods to reduce the need for cash, especially hard currency, and to catch up with international developments in financial transactions.

Palestine

Trump's Israel-Palestine deal targets Saudi alliance, not peace

President Donald Trump knows that in order to get the Saudis into a regional alliance with Israel against Iran, he must first present a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Saudi Arabia

Does latest Gulf aid to Jordan come with strings?

Analysts wonder whether a Gulf aid package to help Jordan deal with its current economic crisis is in fact an attempt to pressure the kingdom into accepting the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan being developed by the United States.

Legacy: Gulf

Abbas agrees to end death penalty, but Hamas objects

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a protocol to abolish the death penalty, but the measure faces opposition in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas continues to support the sentence.

Palestine

Why Israel’s 11-year closure didn’t topple Hamas

It took Israel a decade to realize that its closure policy won’t topple the Hamas regime.

Palestine

Rapid spread of gas stations fuels controversy in Gaza

Gas stations are increasingly being invested in under the degenerating economic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, pointing at conflicting interests between Gaza’s Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Local Government.

Palestine

Gaza women fight for fairer, faster divorces

A women's association in Gaza is fighting to address the glacial legal process to obtain a divorce and the lack of support for women during those interminable periods.

Palestine