Call to boycott work of Jewish Turkish writer backfires Author Mario Levi says although he has been targeted, he has a positive take on these events as it also generated unprecedented support. Palestine
Stop violence in the name of religion Religious leaders unite in a joint appeal against acts of violence in Mosul and across the region. Iraq
Iran dominates Iraqi market after occupation of Mosul Doors closed to the markets of Turkey and Syria after militants took the town of Mosul, leading to a jump in prices for consumers, but a surge in imported Iranian goods could plug the gaps. Iraq
Iran, Hezbollah break with Assad to support Hamas Hezbollah and Iran have publicly declared support for Hamas in the Gaza war against Israel, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains critical of Hamas and is reluctant to reconcile. Palestine
Tunnel intelligence failure a wake-up call for Israel The magnitude of the Hamas tunnel network was not correctly assessed by the military and caught Israel by surprise, after which the Security Cabinet approved the ground operation, wishing the international community understood Israel's need to eradicate this threat. Palestine
Ayatollah Khamenei calls for armed struggle in West Bank Iran's supreme leader has said that the Israeli and Palestinian people should hold a referendum to decide their fate and that until that happens, the West Bank should begin an armed struggle like Gaza. Palestine
The fine line between freedom of speech and treason in Israel When voices flood Israelis from the full ideological spectrum — the radical left, the Arab Israelis, the incitement of the extreme right — the boundaries of free speech in a democracy need to be defined at times of war. Israel
UAE Twitter activist not guilty but still in custody Despite being acquitted of the charges against him, Obaid Yousef al-Zaabi remains in custody since December 2013 after being interviewed on CNN about his Twitter activism. United Arab Emirates
Islamic State urges Turkish businessmen to return to Iraq In an interview with Al-Monitor, Turkey's economy minister says that in addition to IS prompting Turkish businessmen to return to Iraq, trade with Israel remains unaffected despite the current crisis, and 2015 will see an increase in exports and decrease in deficit. Iraq
Israelis accused of torturing Palestinian child detainees The Palestinian Prisoners Club says there has been an increase in the number of cases of Palestinian children tortured during interrogation by Israeli officers. Palestine
Internationalization needed to solve Gaza conflict A globally driven attempt to demilitarize Gaza under international law could gain the support of Palestinians and address the core issues of Israel's occupation. Palestine
Don't look to Yemen model for solutions in Iraq US President Barack Obama and others have referred to the “Yemen model” as an option to transition power from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and restore order in Iraq, but Yemen's own results have been disastrous. Gulf
Hezbollah, Hamas repair political ties during breakup The fraught relations between Hezbollah and Hamas could come to an end as Israel continues its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Bill Burns on nuclear diplomacy with Iran In an interview with Back Channel US deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns said that although it will be difficult to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran the chances are not bad considering the context. Iran
Ambassador Shuffle: Iraq, Jordan, Turkey Ambassador John R. Bass is expected to be nominated as Ambassador to Turkey, Ambassador Jordan Stuart E. Jones is expected to be nominated as Ambassador to Iraq, and Alice Wells is expected to move to Jordan. Iraq
Senate Egypt bill could ease US aid after coup The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to introduce the Egypt Assistance Reform Act of 2013 on Wednesday, a bill which would give the Obama administration leeway to administer aid to Egypt. Egypt
