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
How much are Palestinians paying for 'peace' with Israel? After receiving another big batch of financial aid from Qatar, some Palestinians are wondering what the on-again, off-again truce with Israel is really costing them. Qatar
Can Elia Suleiman's satirical film bring Palestine its first Oscar? "It Must Be Heaven" centers on the story of a Palestinian fugitive in search of a new homeland — with a reference to national poet Mahmoud Darwish's line “Where do the birds fly after the last sky?” Palestine
Interview Former PM Olmert: 'Netanyahu is finished' In an exclusive Al-Monitor interview, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fail to form a government after the Sept. 17 elections and will be cast aside by Likud before a third round of elections.
Gaza explosions leave Hamas exposed The two terrorist explosions that rocked the Gaza Strip despite Hamas’ tight security measures triggered questions about the movement’s capacity to stand up to the Islamic State. Palestine
Palestinian officials encourage competition among banks The Palestinian government in Ramallah will begin allowing Palestinian banks to compete with Bank of Jordan branches in the territories to collect citizens' payments for licenses and taxes owed to the Ministry of Transportation. Palestine
Palestinian Authority must pay $3.61 million in torture case Israel recently collected several million dollars from Palestinian Authority funds to compensate Arab-Israelis wrongly arrested two decades ago. Palestine
West Bank village courts tourists with eggplant, stone terraces A festival in the West Bank village of Battir celebrates the locally grown eggplant of the village known for its terraced cultivation of vines and olives. Palestine
Israel, Egypt, Hamas against global jihad Egypt considers Hamas to be a vital and integral partner in the war that it is waging with Israel against the international jihadist movement, its branches in the Sinai Peninsula and the Salafist cells that started flourishing in the Gaza Strip recently. Palestine
Palestinian, Israeli economies intertwined A tour of the West Bank city of Bethlehem makes it clear that the Palestinian and Israeli economies are intertwined. Palestine
Israel, PA find creative ways to save West Bank from economic collapse Israel understands that implementing the "deduction" law could generate an economic collapse of the PA and in turn endanger security coordination with the Palestinians. Palestine
Gaza’s Islamic Jihad openly at the service of Iran Hamas no longer tries to conceal the growing involvement of Iran in Gaza through its proxy Islamic Jihad. Palestine
Will Jordanian prisoners in Israel complete sentences at home? Questions arise as to whether Israel will send Jordanian prisoners to complete their prison sentences in their country, in an attempt to avoid releasing them in a possible prisoner exchange. Palestine
