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
Palestinians wary of calm on Gaza-Israel border There have been no exchange of fire between Hamas and Israel in weeks, which could mean both parties are preoccupied with their internal crises and waiting for regional developments to unfold. Palestine
Israel forced to reassess demolition policy With Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promising to rebuild every home demolished by the IDF, Israel’s defense establishment will have to reassess the demolition of terrorists’ homes as a deterrent. Palestine
New park opens in Gaza near Israel border Palestinians recently inaugurated a new park at the site from which they had launched the Great Return March, establishing a human presence in a buffer zone that Israel has insisted remain clear. Palestine
Will Arabs work with Israel to fight violence in their villages? Israel's public security minister and the Arab Joint List agreed to work together to stop the spread of illegal weapons in Arab towns in Israel, but whether the community cooperates remains to be seen. Palestine
Palestinian National Library to collect Palestine's scattered archives Palestine's former minister of culture, Ihab Bseiso, is in charge of establishing a national library — a project that will require a lot of diplomacy and fundraising. Palestine
Many questions surround possible Palestinian elections Some Fatah members say President Mahmoud Abbas will be the party's sole candidate in the potential presidential election, though others may have their eyes on the office. Palestine
New tourism: learning about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict An alternative tourism market, which offers tourists a chance to join Palestinians in an olive harvest or tour a refugee camp, has developed in Israel, so that tourists can experience the complex reality of this land. Palestine
What are real motives for PA government visit to Egypt? The visit of the Palestinian Ramallah government to Egypt on Oct. 7 raised questions about its motives, as Gazan political and economic analysts are not so convinced that its main focus is facilitating the lives of Gazans. Palestine
Why Israel should expand work permits for Palestinians In order to end the situation where Palestinians pay thousands of shekels to obtain work permits in an illegal manner, Israel should expand the number of permits and offer job seekers some hope. Palestine
Hamas signals alarm on Israeli efforts to recruit collaborators Hamas has launched an awareness campaign against what it says are Israeli efforts to recruit Palestinians as spies through deceptive online contacts. Palestine
PA seeks to protect rights of Palestinians working in Israel The Palestinian government is taking measures to end permit brokerage, which can cost job seekers half their salaries to work in Israel. Palestine
Abbas rival Dahlan seeks role in Palestinian elections The Democratic Reformist Current (DRC), headed by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, seems keen to take part in the Palestinian general elections, preferably on a unified Fatah list. United Arab Emirates