Iran arrests alleged spies for UK, Germany, Israel Iran executed men it said spied for the United States and Israel last month. By Al-Monitor Staff
Israeli tanks deploy to Lebanese border Conflicting reports have emerged on whether Israeli tanks entered Lebanese territory amid high tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. By Al-Monitor Staff
Israeli women excluded from decision-making on coronavirus Israeli women are excluded from the government’s decision-making process on the coronavirus, even though they are the first ones to suffer the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Egypt-Gaza border crossing opens for first time in months The Rafah border crossing has been mostly shut to travelers since March. By Al-Monitor Staff
Netanyahu challenged from the right, not from the left Israel’s political left is doing so badly that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most serious challenger currently is right-wing politician Naftali Bennett. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Iraq's al-Faw port project's endless delays The al-Faw grand port project has been long delayed due to financial problems, among other issues. By Azhar Al-Ruabie
Outrage as Algerian journalist sentenced to three years in prison Human rights groups around the world are aghast at the harsh sentencing of independent Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni, who has become a freedom of speech icon. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Is Israel ready for a religious prime minister? Israel never had a religious prime minister, but popular Yamina leader Naftali Bennett is adamant in trying to get hold of the job. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
How HTS leader in Syria's Idlib is attempting a makeover The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria’s Idlib has been making appearances in the streets and public places among the people in a bid to present himself as a political leader. By Sultan al-Kanj
Egypt reaches out to Maghreb countries to resolve Libyan crisis Egypt is working to coordinate with the Maghreb countries in hopes of reaching a consensus on Libya. By Mohammad Hanafi
After barrage of explosive balloons, Israel closes crossing point with Gaza Signaling to Hamas it won’t tolerate more incendiary balloons, Israel announced it will close the Kerem Shalom goods crossing for an undetermined period, allowing only the entry of fuel, food and humanitarian supplies. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
As annexation stalls, Netanyahu revives plan to expand West Bank settlements Israel is reviving the E1 plan to build thousands of settlements in East Jerusalem, which would cut off the city from the rest of the West Bank and undermine any prospect for the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
First COVID-19 case among residents reported in Syrian IS camp Three health workers in the notorious al-Hol camp also tested positive for the coronavirus last week. By Al-Monitor Staff
Iran suspends newspaper after critical coronavirus coverage The newspaper had just published an interview that accused the government of covering up the scale of Iran's coronavirus outbreak. By Al-Monitor Staff
Iran says it will not pay to replace Ukraine jet shot down near Tehran in January No agreement has yet been reached on compensation for victims' families, but Iran says it won't pay for the aircraft itself. By Al-Monitor Staff
Yemen’s rebels say UNESCO sites in Sanaa collapse amid heavy rains The old city of Sanaa is home to more than 100 mosques and over 6,000 houses built before the 11th century. By Al-Monitor Staff