Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel moves against West Bank settlers after Huckabee criticism Who benefits from Lebanon’s amnesty law; Turkey's Fidan heads to Egypt amid questions over Saudi-led defense pact; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty Hormuz shipping traffic falls to one-week low amid hostilities; Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing it; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing it Even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he rejects US President Donald Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan, Israel is advancing its implementation. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Syria, Russia reach deal on Russian bases Iran says no reason to fear Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi security pact; Yemeni military reports 7 killed in Houthi attack; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Hormuz to reopen after ‘very good’ Iran talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Netanyahu’s Gaza double game: Back Trump, reassure Israel’s right By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis How Hamas disarmament deal may test Iran's regional strategy By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Netanyahu zigzags on two-state solution Throughout his political career, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has battled the 1993 Oslo Accord, backed it, objected to the two-state solution and then supported it again. Palestine
No promises in Netanyahu's offer to negotiate settlement annexation The Israeli prime minister’s overtures to discuss settlements to be annexed to Israel under a peace agreement is an effort to legitimize the settlements in the guise of a concession without making any commitments to the Palestinians. Palestine
Hamas struggling with emerging Islamist parties Hamas has allowed some Salafist organizations to openly carry out their activities while trying to shut down others. Palestine
Death sentences test fragile Hamas-Egypt ties The Egyptian court’s death sentence ruling against ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, along with some Muslim Brotherhood leaders and Hamas members, has destabilized already fragile relations between Hamas and Cairo. Palestine
Jibril Rajoub confident FIFA will vote on expelling Israel FIFA’s general assembly will convene on May 29 and may vote on removing Israel from the world soccer association, in a step Palestinians see as a major progress in the nonviolent efforts to call out Israel for its ongoing violations against Palestinian sports. Palestine
France works to restart talks toward Israeli-Palestinian peace France is urging Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations in anticipation of an international peace proposal being presented. Palestine
First international blunder of Bibi's new government Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's zigzagging over the plan to separate Jews and Palestinian workers traveling to the territories demonstrates the strong hold of the settlers over his fragile coalition. Palestine
Did Ya'alon cave in to settler pressure? Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon revoked his decision to separate Palestinian and Israeli bus passengers traveling to the territories following an international outcry about apartheid, as well as harsh criticism in Israel. Palestine
New museum to honor Palestinian history, culture The new Palestinian Museum under construction in the West Bank will honor the country’s heritage through history and art exhibits. Palestine
Shifting tides in PA-EU relationship Since the Vatican recognized the state of Palestine, Palestinians are hoping more European states will follow suit. Palestine
Damaged gas cylinders become another threat to Gazans In addition to other hardships suffered by Palestinians, damaged gas cylinder explosions are claiming the lives of citizens in Gaza who are unaware of their risks. Palestine
Former Hamas official speaks out In this interview with Al-Monitor, Ahmed Yousef, former political adviser to deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, weighs in on the negotiations with Israel, the future of a potential reconciliation with Fatah and international relations. Palestine