Netanyahu priority may be Sinwar, not Gaza cease-fire A recap of Al-Monitor reporting from Israel, Iran, the UAE and Turkey. Palestine
Analysis As he stalls Gaza talks, Israel's Netanyahu prioritizes capturing Sinwar The recent rescue of a hostage held in Gaza boosts assessments in Israel that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is under growing pressure and could be captured soon. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
World Food Program suspends staff movement after vehicle shot at in Gaza The news comes amid efforts to increase vaccinations against polio in war-torn Gaza. Palestine
Analysis Why Ben-Gvir's Al-Aqsa compound rhetoric is dangerous and disruptive Israel's far-right minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for the establishment of a synagogue at the sensitive Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount complex, engendering fierce responses from Palestinian and Israeli leaders alike. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Analysis With Sinwar undecided, Israel wary of imminent Lebanon war with Hezbollah By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Netanyahu wants/needs annexation before elections White House advisers Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner object Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's intention to annex settlements before the March 2 elections, but Netanyahu has no intention of giving up. Palestine
Rival Palestinian factions unite against US 'deal of century' Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials attended an emergency Palestinian leadership meeting in Ramallah to discuss how to respond to the US administration's peace plan, and another meeting is planned this week in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Netanyahu's land of the settlers Did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really think that he could fool US President Donald Trump and announce annexation of the West Bank without an angry response from the Americans? Palestine
Hamas hikes taxes on imports, including from West Bank Hamas has imposed new customs duties on goods entering the Gaza Strip but some believe the taxes go too far, especially when they are imposed on items coming from the West Bank. Palestine
How this Palestinian initiative helps women deal with their scars Alorkedea, an initiative in Gaza, provides psychological support, health tips and networking opportunities for women with physical disfigurations. Palestine
Intel: Why Russia’s warming ties with Israel may lead Moscow to embrace Trump’s peace plan Russian President Vladimir Putin pardoned a young Israeli accused of drug charges ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. The release of Naama Issachar, who had been sentenced to 7½ years in prison, ends a bitter controversy that had plagued relations between the two countries. Palestine
Iran slams Trump’s vision for Mideast peace The Islamic Republic is fiercely opposed to Trump's "deal of the century," stating that Muslims will never allow it to happen. Palestine
Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ fails to resonate among Egyptians While the Egyptian government treaded cautiously in its response to the rollout of the US administration’s long-awaited peace deal, expressing Cairo’s “appreciation” of US efforts, analysts and the public widely condemned the plan. Palestine
Trump’s plan revokes Israeli Arabs' citizenship The authors of the Trump-Netanyahu peace plan bothered to ask Israeli Arabs whether they wanted to become Palestinian nationals, but the deal nonetheless strips them of their Israeli citizenship and in the process would split families and help perpetuate right-wing rule. Palestine
Trump’s Israeli-US deal is not a peace plan Donald Trump's 'deal of the century' may have started out as a peace plan, but his administration's conflict with the Palestinian leadership turned it into a plan to give Israel the green light to annex one-third of the West Bank. Palestine
Trump’s peace plan: platform for Israeli unity government? The peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump could serve as a platform and incentive for Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to accept the formation of a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestine
How long can Abbas hold firm on security coordination with Israel? Israel's security establishment is well aware of the pressure being exerted on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to halt security coordination with Israel, which is why Israel must exert intense efforts to assist him. Palestine