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
'No meaningful protection': Israel’s new Gaza aid rules raise data, security risks The guidelines expand Israeli authority to deny NGO registration in the Palestinian territories and visas for foreign aid workers as Gaza continues to reel from two years of war. Palestine
Analysis Why Turkey’s exclusion from Gaza force may be a strategic blessing By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Lebanon’s Hezbollah hosts Hamas chief as rockets fly over Israel border The delegation has reportedly discussed efforts to coordinate action against Israel. Palestine
Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa, arrest over 300 as clashes resume with Hamas Violent clashes at the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa compound led to heavy rocket fire overnight from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli localities. Israel
Two Palestinians killed in West Bank as Israel intercepts flying object from Gaza Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Monday as Israeli warplanes intercepted an object flying over the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Israel eases Palestinian entry restrictions to Al-Aqsa ahead of Ramadan With the Muslim month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover week holiday overlapping this year, the issue of visits to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif compound gets more complicated than usual. Israel
US-Israeli citizen injured in West Bank as parties meet in Egypt to de-escalate A second Israeli-Palestinian-American-Egyptian-Jordanian meeting took place on Sunday, with all parties pledging to take measures to de-escalate tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, ahead of Ramadan and Passover. Israel
In Paris, Israel’s Smotrich says Palestinian people don't exist, calls them 'fictitious' Addressing far-right French Jews at a conference, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich dismissed the existence of the Palestinian people, claiming he and his forefathers were the “real Palestinians.” Israel
Hezbollah, Hamas seek to exploit Israel's internal weakness to attack The security incident last Monday near the border with Lebanon worries the IDF, as Hezbollah tries to exploit the ongoing crisis in Israel. Israel
Israelis, Palestinians to meet in Egypt in bid to lower tensions before Ramadan With Ramadan only days away, Israel, the Palestinians, the United States, Egypt and Jordan fear that West Bank tensions could explode. Israel
Hamas says leadership visited Russia, met Sergey Lavrov A Hamas official has revealed that his movement "recently" visited Moscow and warned that the group's "patience is running out" with Israel. Palestine
MidEast freedom rankings: Syria worst, Tunisia in decline, says Freedom House Syria remains to be the least and Israel the best performing country when it comes civil and political freedoms while the biggest one-year decline has been observed in Tunisia. Turkey
US will 'protect' its technology against China theft in Middle East: Leaf Barbara Leaf, top Middle East official at the State Department told Al-Monitor that the Syrian government is participating in the drug trade, and blamed Iran for the failure of the nuclear deal. Iran
Culture Arab women's group 'Khateera' dares to defy, one narrative at a time Khateera’s content ranges from misconceptions about women’s intelligence in society and women's unpaid labor, to heavier topics such as sexual rights and honor killings, toxic masculinity and the shame around periods in Middle East society. Legacy: Gulf
