Settler violence spike exposes Israeli government rift with military Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak of centrist Yesh Atid told Al-Monitor that the government must permit the use of administrative detention for extremist settlers to curb the violence. Israel
Wartime closures at Jerusalem holy sites raise fears of lasting shift among Palestinians Palestinians say sweeping restrictions during Ramadan and ahead of Eid reflect security concerns, but there is concern they could ultimately reshape access to worship in the Old City. Palestine
Analysis Hamas sits out Iran war as Gaza, Gulf interests take priority Hamas has so far stayed out of the escalating Iran war, despite its longstanding alliance with Tehran, reflecting a cautious strategic calculation. By Abeer Ayyoub In Istanbul, reporting on Palestine
Spain recalls Israel ambassador, calls Iran war 'flagrant illegality': What to know Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the US-Israel war in Iran a "flagrant illegality.” Israel
Analysis Why Turkey’s exclusion from Gaza force may be a strategic blessing By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Will Hamas give up its weapons as part of peace deal? In the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for Hamas to be disarmed, officials from the movement have rushed to react and roll out possible disarming scenarios. Palestine
Low chances of success for Abbas’ alternative to US peace plan Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas proposed his vision for a peace process with Israel as an alternative to the United States' deal of the century. Palestine
Egypt treads cautiously in response to Trump's deal of the century Egypt is caught between a rock and a hard place in supporting Palestinians and not rejecting the US peace plan, being careful to sustain good ties with the United States. Palestine
Why Palestinians failed at the Security Council The Palestinians' push for a near-unanimous UN Security Council resolution opposing the Trump plan ran into a number of unexpected roadblocks. Palestine
Peace with the region is not a peace plan The Trump peace plan is flawed because it has more to do with building a coalition against Iran rather than with promoting peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
Palestine's 'Red Prince' star of new TV drama A new TV series in Palestine offers insight into the controversial figure of Abu Hassan Salameh, Yasser Arafat's right-hand man and a possible back channel with the Americans. Palestine
Egypt builds a wall on border with Gaza As part of the measures Egyptian authorities have taken to boost border security, including the construction of a border wall, an Egyptian security delegation conducted a field inspection along the Egypt-Gaza border. Palestine
Palestinians tell Trump, Israel: We are not for sale The Trump administration boasts of a generous economic framework offered to the Palestinians, while in truth it hopes the private sector will come up with the funds. Palestine
Israel’s Gantz dismisses the Joint List, shooting self in foot, again Blue and White head Benny Gantz has fallen into a trap set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by publicly rejecting the Arab Joint List. Palestine
Palestinian architect turns conservation of heritage into resistance Nadia Habash, named by Middle East Architect magazine as one of 50 influential architects in the region, says preserving heritage is a national statement. Palestine
Hamas, Fatah push ahead on reconciliation to counter US peace plan The US peace plan has left no choice for Hamas and Fatah but to seek an end to Palestinian division, which was made clear in the efforts to revive this file and draft a unified strategy to counter the US proposal. Palestine
Iran FM phones Abbas to discuss US peace deal Given shaky relations between Iran and the Palestinian Authority, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's phone call to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas came as a surprise. Palestine