News:
Palestinians are seen to be gaining momentum [1] in their quest for statehood. (New York Times)
The ICC says Palestinian officials have acknowledged the court's jurisdiction [2] regarding last summer's Gaza war. (AFP)
The US is considering cutting aid [3] to the PA over recent PLO moves. (AP)
Pres. Rivlin [4] says he is opposed to Israel withholding [5] Palestinian tax revenues in response to multilateral PLO initiatives. (AFP/Xinhua)
The US also strongly criticizes [6] Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues. (Ha'aretz)
Hamas denies [7] reports that its leader, Khaled Meshaal, has been expelled from Qatar [8], but Israel welcomes [9] the report. (Reuters/Times of Israel/Ha'aretz)
Hamas says it is opposed [10] to Arabs and Muslims visiting Jerusalem. (Xinhua)
Hamas says it is "totally opposed [11]" to any new Palestinian UN bid. (AFP)
Israel sentences a Hamas member to life imprisonment [12] for the killing of three Israeli teenagers last summer. (BBC)
Israeli occupation forces shoot and injure [13] a Palestinian teenager in a West Bank raid. (Ma'an)
Israel's military is divided [14] over probes into last summer's Gaza war. (AP)
Palestinians eagerly await the performance of their Cinderella national soccer team [15] at Asian Cup 2015. (The Guardian)
Japan and Israel [16] are establishing closer ties. (JTA)
Hezbollah [17] appears to acknowledge that a top official has been found to be spying for Israel [18]. (New York Times/Times of Israel)
Clashes with ISIS extremists kill [19] 23 government troops and allied forces in Iraq. (AP)
Kurdish fighters seize a key district [20] in the embattled Syrian town of Kobane. (BBC)
A senior ISIS extremist is found beheaded [21] by unknown assailants in Syria. (Ha'aretz)
Thousands of Syrians in Aleppo are trapped between [22] ISIS and regime forces. (CNN)
There are growing signs of ISIS misrule [23] and incompetence in the areas under its control [24]. (Financial Times/Daily Beast)
Doctors say the West's focus on ISIS means it is ignoring the human tragedy [25] in Syria. (Reuters)
Gunmen kill two [26] Egyptian policeman guarding a Christian church. (AP)
France says it is ready to strike [27] extremists on Libya's borders. (AP)
A Jordanian prince is trying to unseat [28] FIFA chief Sepp Blatter. (AP)
Shiite rebels in Yemen are reportedly helping [29] Sunni Al Qaeda militants. (Christian Science Monitor)
Commentary:
Peter Beinart [30] responds to Dennis Ross's critique of Palestinian moves at the UN and the ICC. (Ha'aretz)
David Makovsky [31] looks at the policy implications of the Palestinian ICC initiative. (WINEP)
Nehemia Shtrasler [32] says Israel will pay the price for PM Netanyahu's 'management' of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. (Ha'aretz)
Adnan Abu Amer [33] says Hamas is divided over a potential rapprochement with former Fatah leader Dahlan. (Al Monitor)
Ali Ibrahim [34] welcomes a well-timed appeal for Jerusalem from the head of the OIC. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Amiram Barkat [35] says Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them. (Ha'aretz)
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed [36] asks if relations can improve between Iran and Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Salman Aldossary [37] says Saudi Arabia will not save Iran's economy. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Madawi Al-Rasheed [38] asks if the next Saudi King will seize the opportunity for change. (Al Monitor)
The CSM [39] says Arab and Turkish hospitality to Syrian refugees is an example to the West. (Christian Science Monitor)
The New York Times [40] denounces Egypt's crackdown on gay men. (New York Times)
Mohamed Fadel Fahmy [41] says Al Jazeera journalists are not Egypt's enemies. (New York Times)
The BBC [42] looks at why ISIS' "Islamic State" is not a country at all. (BBC)
Gopal Ratnam [43] asks what comes after ISIS is defeated. (Foreign Policy)
Rasha Al Aqeedi [44] says Mosul was on its way to being much more conservative long before ISIS took over. (The National)
Michael Karam [45] remembers legendary Lebanese wine-maker Serge Hochar. (The Daily Star)
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