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
IDF says it had no choice but to kill Islamic Jihad senior The Israeli military operation to kill Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta was planned months in advance, after a series of rockets were fired toward Israel, including on Ashdod while Prime Minister Benjamin was delivering a speech there. Palestine
Israel’s Gaza policy: a recipe for escalation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading a caretaker government that shouldn’t last long, yet he authorized a complicated operation that generated a barrage of Gaza rockets. Palestine
Israel's political turmoil leaves economic peace with Jordan on hold A stable Jordan may be a top Israeli national interest, but important joint economic projects between the two countries have been mired in bureaucratic red tape for a while. Palestine
Hamas' Sinwar ramps up threats against Israel Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's recent belligerent and threatening speech reflects frustration over the stalemate in talks with Israel, partly due to the Israeli political crisis. Palestine
With Qatar’s money, Israeli gas set to bring Gaza light Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has finally given his consent for Qatar to pay to extend an Israeli gas pipeline to the Gaza Strip's power station — a project that's expected to ameliorate the electricity crisis there while boosting Qatari influence in Gaza and giving Hamas standing as a successful mediator. Qatar
Why is Israel after Adnan Ghaith? Israel continues to target Adnan Ghaith, the Palestinian Authority’s representative in Jerusalem, for arrest and bans, claiming that his activities in East Jerusalem undermine Israeli authority over the city, while Palestinians see the Israeli actions as an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian presence there. Palestine
Palestinian elections look increasingly feasible The Palestinian president’s call for general elections appears to have gained traction in Palestine, but many obstacles remain. Palestine
How this solar energy project will meet Palestinians’ electricity needs The Palestine Investment Fund is carrying out a project to build solar energy power stations in the Palestinian territories in order to meet electricity needs. Palestine
Will 2020 candidates' calls to condition Israeli military aid spark public debate? The calls of Democrats Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to condition US security aid to Israel on changes of policy could alienate the Israeli public but could also trigger a useful public debate and even revingorate Israel's security industry. Palestine
Hamas, Gaza on agenda of Israel’s coalition talks New Right senior Naftali Bennett has toned down his statements on the Gaza Strip over the past few days; he is interested in becoming the defense minister in a future Netanyahu government. Palestine
Palestinians criticize Hamas’ decision to appoint municipal presidents Hamas is lambasted for appointing municipality presidents without holding elections in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
How will Hamas participate in upcoming elections? After Hamas announced its readiness to participate in Palestinian elections, the leadership is considering the current circumstances and past experiences in order to come up with an effective way to take part in the polls. Palestine
