NEWS:

Hamas' military wing denies Arab press reports it endorsed continued strong ties to Iran and Hezbollah. (Times of Israel)

Israel is planning to build a new road in the occupied West Bank connected to thesensitive E1 project. (AFP/Ha'aretz)

An Israeli newspaper reports that the EU has told Israel if settlement construction continues, they may support Palestinian international legal efforts against it. (PNN)

The European Council of Ministers urges Israel to halt settlement construction and make gestures towards the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

PM Netanyahu's cool response to the reiterated and improved Arab Peace Initiative raises doubts about his enthusiasm for an agreement. (AP)

Netanyahu calls on Pres. Abbas to "give peace a chance," and insists he is paying attention to the Arab Peace Initiative.  (Xinhua/Bloomberg)

The PA asks Israel to release 120 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture. (Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Obama's nomination of Samantha Power for UN ambassador stirs controversy in Israel. (New York Times/YNet)

Palestinians mark the 46th anniversary of the 1967 war. (Xinhua)

As all his predecessors have always done, Obama again extends the presidential waiver on the proposed US Jerusalem Embassy to Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

Abbas reiterates there can be no peace agreement without Jerusalem serving as the Palestinian capital. (Jerusalem Post)

As the global demand for drones increases, Israel leads the market. (AP)

Israel seals off an area adjacent to the DMZ between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights as heavy fighting rages nearby. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz/Reuters)

Israeli occupation forces detain a prisoner's rights advocate in Nablus and a Hamas activist in Ramallah. (Ma'an)

Outgoing PM Fayyad signs an agreement with the Palestinian doctors' union. (Ma'an)

Many Gaza factions denounce the appointment of PM-designate Hamdallah. (Al Monitor)

Israel claims international labeling of settlement products would hurt the Palestinian economy. (Al Monitor)

Israel and the Vatican seem set to sign an agreement on several contentious properties. (Times of Israel)

A former US attorney is moving to the West Bank to help promote the rule of law in the Palestinian justice system. (Times of Israel)

COMMENTARY:

Haggai Matar says all Israelis are responsible for, and profit from, the occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Trudy Rubin says former PM Olmert's plan for peace is the most realistic. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Carlo Strenger says a key to Sec. Kerry's success could be getting Arab states to promote, and Israelis to understand, the Arab Peace Initiative. (Ha'aretz)

Elisheva Goldberg says it is Netanyahu who won't "give peace a chance." (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Gershon Baskin agrees with Kerry that the window of opportunity for peace is short. (Jerusalem Post)

Aaron David Miller says Obama probably won't succeed in solving any long-standing conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian one. (Foreign Policy)

Chemi Shalev says Jewish-American groups will welcome the Susan Rice appointment but question that of Power. (Ha'aretz)

Alan Dershowitz thinks Power will be a fine UN ambassador. (Jerusalem Post)

The Jerusalem Post thinks the US should not have welcomed the appointment of Hamdallah. (Jerusalem Post)

Ha'aretz says it's outrageous Israel is increasing military funding to an NGO that promotes settlement of occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

Abra Cohen samples Palestinian culinary delights in the occupied West Bank. (The Forward)

Asmaa al-Ghoul says Hamas is continuing to experience a sharp decline in its relations with Hezbollah over Syria. (Al Monitor)