Lawless Sinai Becomes Flashpoint For Egypt With Israel, Hamas The growing presence of armed groups in the Sinai threatens to destabilize the area, potentially drawing Israel, Egypt and Hamas into confrontation, Noura Khouri writes. Egypt
Beirutis on Edge Over Sectarian Tensions Following the assault of four Sunni sheikhs in a suburb of Beirut on March 17, the city’s residents express their concerns over what appears to be re-emerging sectarian tensions, reports Elie Hajj. Lebanon
Palestinian Bedouin Community Battles Eviction Palestine’s ancient Bedouin community has been threatened with eviction by Israel, which plans to use their land to expand settlement operations, reports Jihan Abdalla. Palestine
Hamas Restricts Travel for Gazans The Hamas-run Ministry of Interior has recently placed new restrictions on those traveling through the Erez crossing, further limiting the movement of Gaza's residents, writes Abeer Ayyoub. Palestine
Why Obama Didn't Leave a Wreath On Arafat’s Grave Shlomi Eldar responds to Daoud Kuttab’s call to President Barack Obama to leave a wreath on Yasser Arafat’s grave. Palestine
UN to Probe Syria's Claim Of Rebel Chemical Attack A chlorine factory is at the core of the Syrian government's call for an investigation into chemical-weapons use near Aleppo, reports Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Muslim Brotherhood Holds Sway Over Syrian Opposition Ghassan Hitto’s appointment as Syrian interim prime minister by the opposition coalition may be an attempt by Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and Turkey to derail Moaz al-Khatib’s dialogue initiative, writes Hassan Hassan. Syria
Mother's Day in Gaza: A Time for Sorrow As Mother’s Day nears, many Gazans are remembering their lost loved ones, reports Asmaa al-Ghoul. Palestine
Netanyahu Woos Allies on Right For Possible Peace Push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is giving important jobs to the far-right wing of his party's Knesset members, perhaps to soften them up for diplomatic engagement with the Palestinians, Mazal Mualem suggests. Israel
Iraq War Lessons, a Decade Later Iraq's embrace of democracy since the 2003 war has set the stage for sectarian politics and instability by heightening internal tensions and inviting outside interference in times of crisis, writes Nassif Hitti. Iraq
Palestinian Women Face Violence, Discrimination Lana Shehadeh writes from Ramallah on the discrimination and violence women face in Palestinian society. Palestine
Iranians Mixed on Candidacy Of Khatami Susan Modaress reports from Tehran on reactions to a possible run by former President Mohammad Khatami in the June presidential elections. Iran
Gaza on Brink of Water Crisis Scarce rainfall, coupled with the Israeli blockade, have limited Gaza’s ability to address its water shortage and poor sanitation, reports Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Targets Baghdad's Green Zone Al-Qaeda in Iraq has increased its violent attacks to exploit the political and sectarian turmoil gripping the nation, focusing on the Green Zone in Baghdad, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Region Showcases Culture on Nowruz In light of the relative autonomy the Iraqi Kurdistan region has gained over the years, the region has begun to showcase its own unique culture through events like its annual Nowruz festival, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Israel-Turkey Strategic Ties Show Signs of Thawing Jean-Loup Samaan writes that the Israel-Turkey split is not really grounded in substance but rather in the personal ties of their leaders, and that a thaw may be in the works. Israel
