News:

Israel advances plans for 1500 new settlement housing units in the occupied Palestinian territories. (AP/AFP/PNN/Ha’aretz/JTA/The National)

The PLO will appeal to the UNSC over Israel’s settlement plans. (Ma’an/Xinhua)

Israeli Chief Negotiator Livni says settlement building is a “diplomatic mistake.”(Jerusalem Post)

US Amb. to Israel Shapiro condemns Israel’s new settlement plans. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

The US has reportedly been speaking to Hamas through back channels for more than six months. (Ynet/Buzzfeed)

Sec. Kerry defends the US decision to work with a new Palestinian government. (AP/Ha’aretz)

The White House says Israel’s “hard line public position” on the new Palestinian government isbelied by its own actions. (Ha’aretz)

The question of Hamas is the latest dispute between the US and Israel. (New York Times)

Pres. Abbas will reportedly seek to secure an Egyptian role in supervising reconciliation with Hamas. (Ma’an)

The Australian government will no longer refer to East Jerusalem as a territory under occupation. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Clashes break out in Gaza as PA public employees attempt to withdraw their salaries from ATM machines. (Reuters/Ma’an)

Abbas urges the new Palestinian government and the Central Elections Commission to start preparing for the upcoming elections. (Xinhua)

PM Hamdallah urges the international community to pressure Israel to allow elections to take place in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)

An Israeli military court says Palestinian minors have the right to see a social worker before remand. (Ha’aretz)

Jewish “price tag” extremists set fire to dozens of olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an) 

Pres. Assad is re-elected in a landslide. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/The National)

Kerry calls the Syrian election a “great big zero.” (Washington Post)

UN Humanitarian Chief Amos tells Assad to put his country's people first. (Reuters)

Chinese Pres. Xi calls for a political resolution for Syria. (Reuters)

Ayatollah Khamenei says Pres. Obama has taken the option of military intervention to resolve conflicts off the table. (New York Times)
 

Commentary:

The LA Times says the US should continue to support the PA. (Los Angeles Times)

Akiva Eldar says the Arab Peace Initiative is Israel’s best option. (Al-Monitor)

Khaled Diab says the Palestinian literature festival demonstrates that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” (The National)

Salman Masalha says, despite the new x-ray machines, the “brutal treatment” of Palestinian citizens of Israel at Ben-Gurion Airport continues. (Ha’aretz)

The Jordan Times says the Syrian presidential election was a “sham.” (Jordan Times)

Rachel Brandenburg says the amount of assistance required to meet the basic needs of Syrians affected by the conflict is astounding. (Foreign Policy)

Faisal Al Yafai says, before his assassination, Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir foresaw the extent of Assad’s brutality in Syria. (The National)

The Daily Star says the timing of Kerry’s visit to Lebanon is significant and so is his message. (Daily Star)

Joyce Karam says Kerry in Lebanon looked more like a spectator than a problem solver. (Al Arabiya)

Michael Young says focusing on Hezbollah, may tell us what the ultimate outcome will be in the Lebanese presidency. (Daily Star)