At Mar-a-Lago, Netanyahu seeks Iran strike approval while Trump presses Gaza plan US President Donald Trump is expected to push Israel to enter the second phase of his Gaza peace plan, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will focus on securing Trump’s approval for a potential strike on Iran’s ballistic missile program. Israel
Analysis Gaza realities test Trump’s 2025 Middle East ambitions During its first year, the second Trump administration confronted wars in Gaza and Sudan, forged new ties with Syria and grappled with the growing nuclear threat from Iran. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Analysis In 2025, Netanyahu saved his coalition but stalled on Gaza, Iran, Lebanon With 2025 ending, Israelis are frustrated over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to fully end the Gaza war, solve the Hezbollah problem, reach a deal with Syria or find a way to constructively impact talks on the Iranian nuclear program. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Analysis Trump has upper hand over Netanyahu, but is it enough for Gaza? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been stalling on the implementation of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, but at the end of the day, Trump has much more leverage over Netanyahu. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Newsletter: Palestine Abbas bets on ministry merger as financial crisis deepens By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump expands travel ban By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Will Turkey rid Abbas of Dahlan before Palestinian elections? The Turkish Ministry of Interior announced that it would include the dismissed leader of the Fatah movement, Mohammed Dahlan, on the list of most-wanted terrorists, which observers see as a golden opportunity for Abbas to rid of his rival before the elections. United Arab Emirates
France to support Palestinian agriculture in West Bank areas under Israeli control The Palestinian government and the French Development Agency signed agreements that will support the development of agriculture and water networks in Area C. Palestine
Israel to further tighten the noose on Hamas As a part of the financial restrictions on Hamas, Israel issued a decision to economically pursue Palestinian and foreign figures whom Israel accuses of funding terrorism, and added the president of the Arab Organization for Human Rights on the list of those pursued. Palestine
Israel must set conditions for Hamas over Palestinian elections Israel should agree to the Palestinian demand of enabling elections also in East Jerusalem, but it should not agree for terror group Hamas to participate in the electoral process. Palestine
What’s behind Abbas’ demand for voting stations in Jerusalem? The insistence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Israel enabling East Jerusalem residents to vote in the upcoming Palestinian elections might hide his fear of a Hamas victory. Palestine
Palestinians plan legal steps to stop new Hebron settlement A controversial proposal for a new settlement in the heart of Hebron calls for bulldozing a long-barricaded Palestinian vegetable market to build new shops and housing for Israelis. Palestine
Cairo hosts Islamic Jihad summit as incentive for truce talks Egypt has hosted critical meetings for Hamas and now the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's political bureau both to promote its own role as mediator and as a reward for participating in cease-fire agreements. Palestine
Despite promises and hopes, Gaza's cinemas remain closed The Red Carpet Human Rights Film Festival in Gaza City aims to revive closed film theaters, but there is little progress on the ground. Palestine
PA turns to Russia in a bid to break from US sponsorship As part of its efforts to economically disengage from Israel, the Palestinian Authority seeks to establish bilateral relations with Russia in the energy field. Palestine
Will political crises lead to a Hamas-Israel prisoner swap? A desire by Hamas to improve it's standing among Palestinians and the current political predicament of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might make a prisoner swap more inevitable in the near term. Palestine
Will Israel-Hamas arrangement divorce Gaza from West Bank? According to recent statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Israel and Hamas are close to reaching a long-term agreement, including over control of Gaza. Palestine
Egypt firms up truce positions between Israel, Gaza factions Cairo brought together leaders of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad political bureaus this month to ensure they're all on the same page regarding the truce with Israel. Palestine