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
Jordan digs deep to plant trees in Palestine A Jordanian campaign called Plant Your Resilience is planting trees to protect West Bank land from confiscation by Israel. Palestine
Democratic lawmakers reckon with 2020 rhetoric on Israel aid Presidential candidates who want to place conditions on Israeli military aid have prompted pro-Israel House Democrats to go on the offensive. Palestine
Palestinian election fever begins, minus the elections Some Palestinians are gearing up for elections, yet the chance of them taking place in the near future is slim. Palestine
A first: Hamas partakes in presidential elections Hamas has announced that it is seeking a consensus candidate for the presidential elections, raising questions about the possibility of agreeing with Fatah on a name. Qatar
Arab party reconsiders support of Gantz over Jordan Valley annexation Talks about annexing the Jordan Valley raise concerns amid Arab Knesset members that the Blue and White party is veering right. Palestine
Israel eyes industrial zone development on Gaza border Israeli plans for industrial zones in the Gaza envelope are attracting international support and local hope that they will create thousands of jobs for Palestinians, though not everyone is on board yet. Palestine
Why Hamas is renewing the Gaza border protests In order to appease Palestinian public opinion and show that it is negotiating with Israel from a position of force, Hamas leadership is calling to resume fence demonstrations. Palestine
Israeli singers form bridge to Arab countries Israeli Middle Eastern music is popular in various parts of the Arab world, where it forms a bridge through a common musical heritage. Kuwait
Israel's new defense minister pushes Jewish settlement in Hebron Exploiting to the fullest the short opportunity he got to serve as defense minister, Naftali Bennett has no qualms about pushing for more Jewish settlements in the volatile West Bank city of Hebron. Palestine
Hamas agrees to join elections following brief delay Hamas briefly postponed announcing its participation in the Palestinian legislative elections in what was likely a show of independence. Palestine
Artist imagines Palestine through conquest imagery, female form An exhibition by the artist Vera Tamari approaches Palestine through military helmets, the female form and landscapes. Palestine
Israel restricts human rights work in its territories Israel expelled Human Rights Watch Director Omar Shakir from its territories, accusing him of supporting the boycott of Israel, which opened a debate about Israel’s restrictions against rights workers. Palestine