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News:

Israel resumes imports of fruits and vegetables from Gaza. (Reuters/Ma’an)

Hamas leader Abu Marzouq says Israeli army commanders told Palestinian businessmen that theywould allow a seaport and airport in Gaza in return for a long-term ceasefire. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

Hamas leader Meshaal meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Larijani during the latter’s visit to Qatar. (Times of Israel)

At least 59 Palestinian migrants were on board a boat which capsized off the coast of Sicily on March 4, killing an estimated 50. (Ma’an/PNN)

Palestinian activists burn Israeli products near Nablus. (Ma’an)

Two Palestinians from the occupied West Bank receive rare entry permits to Israel that include Eilat. (Ha’aretz)

PM Netanyahu launches a last-minute media blitz to counter what appears to be a rising tide of support for opposition leader Herzog. (Reuters)

Former Pres. Peres endorses Herzog as prime minister. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Pro-Iraqi government forces exchange fire sporadically with ISIS fighters in Tikrit.(Reuters/Washington Post/New York Times)

Gen. Dempsey says the US is worried about Iran-backed militias in Iraq. (AP)

AP and New York Times look at key events in Syria since March 2011. (AP/New York Times)

Four years of war in Syria leaves families uprooted and separated. (AP)

A coalition of aid agencies says the UNSC has failed to enforce its own hard-fought resolutions on Syria. (New York Times/The National)

UNICEF says 14 million children are suffering as a result of war in Syria and Iraq. (New York Times)

Physicians for Human Rights says more than 600 medical workers have been killed in Syria's civil war. (AP)

ISIS claims responsibility for a bomb attack on a police station in the Libyan capital. (Reuters)

Jordan and Morocco are set to increase cooperation. (Jordan Times)

The Emir of Qatar meets with Pres. Erdogan for talks in Ankara. (AFP)

Sec. Kerry says Congress will not be able to change the terms of any nuclear agreement with Iran. (AP/New York Times)

Ayatollah Khamenei condemns the letter from Republican lawmakers saying he is worried because the US is known for "backstabbing." (Reuters)

Former Sec. Clinton says letter from Republican lawmakers to Iran undermines American leadership. (AP)

Commentary:

Raphael Ahren looks at what Israel’s parties say about the Palestinians. (Times of Israel)

Akiva Eldar asks who will stop the Jewish settlers. (Ha’aretz)

Gideon Levy says in Israel, a “good Arab is an invisible Arab.” (Ha’aretz)

Barak Ravid says Israel needs a prime minister who can clean up the country’s “diplomatic mess.” (Ha’aretz)

Haviv Rettig-Gur asks if Netanyahu is about to lose the election. (Times of Israel)

Omer Benjakob says Herzog and the center-left might actually win Israel’s upcoming election. (Ynet)

Ari Shavit says Herzog and Livni may not be perfect, but they and their party are returning Israel to itself and  to what it’s supposed to be. (Ha’aretz)

Ben Sales explains why Israelis will vote on the economy and not on security. (JTA)

Avi Issacharoff says an angry Egypt feels the squeeze from jihadis, the US and Hamas. (Times of Israel)

H.A. Hellyer says Europe lacks a proper ‘Plan B’ in the Middle East. (The National)

Amal Kandeel says with the help of the international community, Egypt's economy is heading in the right direction. (The National)

Aziz Abu Sarah says in order to dictate the future, ISIS is destroying the past. (Ha’aretz)

The New York Times says in rejecting diplomacy, the Republicans make an Iranian bomb and military conflict more likely. (New York Times)

David Rothkopf says there are real questions both Democrats and Republicans should be asking about our Iran policy. (Foreign Policy)

Michael Young says the greatest potential victims of an Iranian-inspired overhaul of Lebanon’s political system could be Christians in general and specifically Maronites. (Daily Star)

Joyce Karam says Washington’s hands are tied politically and militarily in countering Iranian influence in Iraq. (Al Arabiya)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says hostility toward Washington is a basic pillar of the Iranian revolution and of the country’s foreign activities. (Al Arabiya)

The Daily Star says it is incumbent on Arab countries to produce a viable, united strategy to confront Iran’s designs in the region.  (Daily Star)

Tariq Alhomayed looks at why media campaigns are calling for the return of a Saudi–Turkish alliance. (Asharq al-Awsat)

News:

A Palestinian poll indicates support for the PA’s decision to join the ICC and its boycott of Israeli products, and dwindling support for Hamas. (Times of Israel)

Vegetables harvested in Gaza will be exported to Israel for the first time in eight years. (Ma’an)

Israeli authorities have decided to allow white Portland cement into Gaza for the first time in several years. (Ma’an)

Egypt shuts down the Rafah border crossing. (Ma’an/PNN)

Qatar starts a project to rebuild 1,000 homes that were damaged or destroyed during last summer’s war in Gaza. (New York Times)

The EU denounces the move by Israeli authorities to demolish an EU-funded shelter in occupied East Jerusalem. (AFP)

The Palestinian power firm cancels a deal to buy $1.2 billion of natural gas from Israel. (Reuters/Times of Israel)

A group of Palestinian gunmen shut down the main road near Balata refugee camp east of Nablus. (Ma’an)

Israeli soldiers wound seven Palestinian university students as clashes break out near the Ofer detention center in Ramallah. (Ha’aretz/Ma’an)

The Obama administration will wait for Israel’s elections before commenting on conflicting reports of PM Netanyahu’s retreat from a two-state solution. (JTA)

FM Lieberman brushes off Palestinian threats to prosecute him for proposing to behead Arab citizens disloyal to the state. (AFP/Times of Israel)

AP profiles Gaza novelist Atef Abu Saif. (AP)

King Abdullah of Jordan says an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is essential to combating Islamic extremists.  (AFP/The National/Jordan Times)

UNRWA Chief Krahenbuhl accompanies the first aid convoy in three months to enter the besieged Yarmouk camp in Damascus. (AFP)

Palestinian Deputy PM Mustafa says Israeli voters ignore the West Bank at their peril. (The National)

As Israel’s election nears, peace with the Palestinians earns barely a mention. (Reuters)

Iraqi security forces capture part of Tikrit's northern Qadisiya district. (Reuters/New York Times)

Iraqi FM al-Jaafari dismisses Saudi concerns that Iran is taking control of his country and says Baghdad has good relations with both regional powers. (Reuters)

A video posted online by ISIS purportedly shows the killing of teenager Muhammad Musallam, anIsraeli Arab accused by the group of being an Israeli spy. (Reuters/Washington Post/AFP/JTA/Times of Israel/The National)

A small number of Americans have offered to take up arms against ISIS, working with local militias in Iraq and Syria. (New York Times)

A Jordanian city votes to avoid the “ISIS aesthetic.” (New York Times)

Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador from Sweden after a human rights spat. (Reuters/AFP)

King Salman vows that low oil prices will not halt progress in his country, and promises to defend Arab and Muslim causes around the world. (AP/The National/Al Arabiya)

Egypt’s investment conference aimed at drawing investors from around the world starts on Friday. (AP)

Commentary:

Ilan Goldenberg and Nicholas Heras ask if Israel can survive without the PA. (Foreign Policy)

Yossi Mekelberg says Israel and the PA are playing a potentially “dangerous high stakes game of chicken” in which neither wants to be the first to blink. (Al Arabiya)

Hana Salah says young Palestinian women in Gaza are now turning to business incubators to find funding and support to build their own businesses. (Al-Monitor)

Peter Beinart says if Israelis reelect Netanyahu, they will risk losing the US. (Ha’aretz)

Alex Fishman says Pres. Obama is making clear to Israel that he is about to become much more aggressive regarding the Palestinian issue. (Ynet)

The Daily Star says any new Israeli government will probably seek a continuation of the status quo. (Daily Star)

Zvi Bar’el asks which of the” two Jewish nations”  Israeli voters will choose. (Ha’aretz)

J.J. Goldberg looks at the electoral and psychological landscape of Israel. (The Forward)

Akiva Eldar asks if opposition leader Herzog will compromise party values to join the government. (Al-Monitor)

Yossi Verter says Netanyahu's Likud party is showing signs of distress. (Ha’aretz)

Thomas Friedman says the influence of Sheldon Adelson is being felt in both the US and Israel. (New York Times)

“Abdel” recounts his experiences as a surgeon in Aleppo.  (New York Times)

Tom Fletcher says the international community has tolerated the intolerable in Syria. (Al Arabiya)

Michael Young says worrying Israel and Arab countries alike, America is pivoting away from the region. (The National)

Jamal Khashoggi explains how the Middle East should handle the Muslim Brotherhood. (Al Arabiya)

David Ignatius says a letter from Republican lawmakers to Iran is dangerous and irresponsible. (Washington Post)

Tyler Cullis says Senate efforts to undermine the president's attempts to reach a nuclear accord with Tehran are on the wrong side of history. (New York Times)

Hussein Ibish says the unfolding battle in Tikrit will reveal much about the future of Iraq and the battle against ISIS. (NOW)

News:

A UN expert panel tasked with investigating possible war crimes in Gaza last year has asked for more time to complete its report. (AP/New York Times/JTA)

The PA is holding 50 Islamic militants, fearing a terror attack would ensure a Likud victory in Israel’s upcoming election. (Ha’aretz)

The State Department says it expects the next Israeli government to be committed to the two-state solution. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Former Amb. Oren says Israel must restrict settlement building and create a “two-state reality.” (Ynet)

UN Middle East Envoy Serry proposes a three-to-five year truce in Gaza in order to enable reconstruction. (Ha’aretz)

Women in Gaza protest in front of the UNRWA headquarters to demand that the international community accelerate the reconstruction of Gaza. (Ma’an)

Hamas denies it is interested in a long-term ceasefire agreement with Israel in Gaza. (Ma’an)

The municipality of Jerusalem is blacklisting Palestinian residents suspected of security offenses. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli occupation forces level vast areas of land in the East Jerusalem town of al-Esawiya. (Ma’an) 

Israel’s Amb. to Sweden protests the pulling off the air of a cooking show because its presenter called Jerusalem the Jewish state’s “heart.” (JTA)

PM Netanyahu says there is a “worldwide effort” to topple him. (Reuters)

The Washington Post looks at Israel’s united Arab party. (Washington Post)

A persistent Israeli ethnic divide may split the vote for Netanyahu in the upcoming election. (Reuters)

Israeli opposition leader Herzog is emerging as a credible challenger to Netanyahu. (New York Times)

95 captives, including some Kurdish fighters, escape from an ISIS-run prison in northern Syria. (Reuters)

Iraqi forces retake a town next to the militant-held city of Tikrit as they press their offensive against ISIS militants. (AP)

Pres. Assad seems more likely to survive the Syrian crisis than at any point since it began four years ago. (Reuters)

King Abdullah of Jordan likens ISIS to Nazism -- "an expansionist ideology based on hatred." (Jerusalem Post/Jordan Times)

A suicide bomber kills a civilian and wounds 30 policemen in northern Sinai. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Ma’an/The National)

Democrats accuse GOP senators of undermining Pres. Obama in international talks to curb Iran's nuclear program. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post)

FM Zarif says a letter to Iranian leader by Republican lawmakers suggests that the US is “not trustworthy.” (AP/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Anshel Pfeffer says to beat Netanyahu, Herzog needs to “lift Labor's old curse.” (Ha’aretz)

David Horovitz gives some insights on what to expect in the next Israeli election. (Times of Israel)

Steven Klein gives five reasons why Netanyahu will not be replaced in the upcoming election. (Ha’aretz)

Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan look at the metamorphosis of an ISIS warrior. (Foreign Policy)

Hassan Barari says the key to Iran’s strategy of becoming a regional superpower is the development of its nuclear program. (Jordan Times)

Salman Aldossary says a P5+1 deal with Iran essentially benefits only Tehran and would come at the expense of everyone else. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The National says its time for an Arab NATO. (The National)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says the Arab world has a long history of ignorance regarding the importance and preservation of monuments and historic treasures. (Al Arabiya)

News:

PM Netanyahu says Israel will not cede any territory to the Palestinians due to the current climate in the Middle East. (AP/New York Times/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Ynet)

Palestinian Chief Negotiator Erekat says Netanyahu never believed in the two-state solution, always choosing settlements over peace. (Jerusalem Post)

Egypt opens the Rafah crossing with Gaza for two days. (Ma’an)

Hamas accuses the PA security services of arresting dozens of its supporters across the West Bank. (Ma’an/Times of Israel/Ynet)

EU diplomats tell the PA that it is not doing enough to rebuild Gaza. (Ha’aretz)

Hamas reportedly sent a series of messages to Israel indicating an interest in a long-term ceasefire in exchange for an end to the blockade of Gaza. (Times of Israel)

Israeli occupation forces uproot 300 olive trees on private Palestinian land near Nablus. (Ma’an)

PNN publishes statistics regarding the conditions of Palestinian women. (PNN)

The White House names Robert Malley, former US peace negotiator, to lead the Middle East desk at the NSC. (JTA)

Israelis will vote in a parliamentary election on March 17, choosing among party lists of candidates to serve in the 120-seat Knesset. (Reuters)

The United Arab party is a surprise new force in the upcoming Israeli election. (Reuters)

Reuters profiles the leading candidates in Israel's parliamentary election, their main policies and where they stand on participation in a governing coalition. (Reuters)

Reports of tensions and aggressive recruitment tactics suggest that ISIS militants are struggling to keep supporters amid battlefield losses. (Washington Post)

Gen. Dempsey says some Iraqi troops set for US-led training to fight ISIS are showing up ill-prepared. (AP)

Iraqi DM al-Obeidi says his government is comfortable asking for and receiving help from Iran. (AP)

A US-led coalition airstrike in Syria hits an oil refinery run by ISIS militants near the border with Turkey, killing 30 people. (AP)

Archaeologists and preservationists lament, that in areas held by ISIS, there is little they can do but document the destruction. (New York Times)

Saudi Arabia blocked a plan for Sweden's FM Wallstrom to address the Arab League. (Reuters)

Gen. Haftar is sworn in as army commander for the internationally recognized government in Libya. (Reuters)

Iran and IAEA officials hold talks in Tehran. (Reuters)

Pres. Obama says the US would "walk away" from nuclear talks with Iran if there's no acceptable deal. (AP/New York Times)

47 Republican senators warn that any agreement with Iran may be short-lived unless Congressapproves the deal. (AP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says Israelis think they can completely ignore the reality of the Palestinian people and get away with it. (The National)

Barak Ravid says Netanyahu has shown his rightist colors with the latest policy flip-flop towards the Palestinians. (Ha’aretz)

Nahum Barnea says it's legitimate to reveal the gap between Netanyahu's rhetoric and the major concessions he offered the Palestinians. (Ynet)

J.J. Goldberg looks at why Netanyahu nixed the two-state solution. (The Forward)

Rami Khouri says the recommendation by the PCC to suspend security coordination with Israel illustrates the broken relationship between Palestinians and Israelis.  (Daily Star)

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas is discussing steps it could take if Egypt decides to attack Gaza, as hinted by the Egyptian army. (Al-Monitor)

Amira Hass looks at the Palestinian boycotts of Israeli products and the broader impact. (Ha’aretz)

Gideon Levy says Israel’s Jews must vote for the Arab list. (Ha’aretz)

Zeev Sternhell says if he wants to win, opposition leader Herzog must convince Israelis that peace and prosperity are intertwined. (Ha’aretz)

David Horovitz interviews former finance minister Lapid. (Times of Israel)

Niv Gilboa looks at how upscale Palestinian cuisine is flourishing in Israel. (Al-Monitor)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says if Saudi Arabia accepts a solution by which Pres. Assad stays in power, it will have handed over Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to Iran. (Al Arabiya)

Peter Salisbury asks if Yemen is becoming the next Syria. (Foreign Policy)

Faisal Al Yafai says the language and ideas of political Islam have sidelined liberalism and secularism in the Middle East. (The National)

Amal Mousa looks at how Islamism and political Islam have damaged Islam. (Asharq al-Awsat)

News:

The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) recommends halting security coordination with Israel. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Ma’an/PNN/Ha’aretz/The Media Line)

Israel says ties with the PLO remain unchanged. (Times of Israel)

A Palestinian motorist injures at least seven Israelis in a car attack near a Jerusalem tram stop. (Reuters/AP/Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Some Palestinian factions praise the Jerusalem car attack. (Ma’an)

PM Netanyahu reportedly considered an agreement with the Palestinians that would have uprooted West Bank settlements and recognized Palestinian claims to Jerusalem. (JTA/Times of Israel/Ynet)

An American official says Pres. Obama wants to make a renewed effort to achieve progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

The only power plant in Gaza is set to resume operations after a fuel delivery today. (Ma’an)

Israeli forces open fire on Palestinians in southern Gaza. (Ma’an) 

Israel will resume imports of fruits and vegetables from Gaza for the first time since 2007. (Ha’aretz/Reuters)

Dovish Brig. Gen. (ret.) Sedaka has been appointed to liaise with Bedouins in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

ISIS militants loot and bulldoze the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud. (Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post/The National)

Reports that ISIS's most notorious executioner “Jihadi John” was born on their soil has stirred deep unease among Kuwaitis. (Reuters) 

A study says while Twitter has suspended many users linked to ISIS, at least 46,000 accounts still publicize the group’s message. (New York Times)

The future of Syria’s Al-Nusra Front is in question after its military chief was killed in an apparent government air strike. (Reuters/AP)

The UNSC will vote on a US-drafted resolution to condemn the use of chlorine as a weapon in Syria. (Reuters/New York Times)

The EU has stepped up its sanctions against Syria in response to the crackdown by Pres. Assad's regime. (AP)

FM Zarif suggests that a 10-year moratorium on some aspects of the country's nuclear program might be acceptable to Tehran. (Reuters)

The UAE is lining up investors to try to stabilize Egypt’s damaged economy, while building military cooperation. (AP)

BP signs a $12 billion deal to develop a major gas field in Egypt. (AP/Reuters)

Commentary:

Shlomi Eldar says Hamas' focus on rebuilding its tunnels, while ignoring the plight of Gazans, points to the military wing's dominance in the organization. (Al-Monitor)

Adnan Abu Amer says the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood is accusing Hamas of establishing a secret organization within the kingdom. (Al-Monitor)

Asmaa al-Ghoul says despite Hamas restrictions, Gaza actresses are seeking stages. (Al-Monitor)

George Hishmeh hopes the upcoming Israeli elections will produce a more reasonable Israeli leadership. (Jordan Times)

Haviv Rettig-Gur says the man who will decide Israel’s election is Pres. Rivlin. (Times of Israel)

Roger Cohen says Netanyahu’s obsessive Iran demonization is based on hyperbole and selective history. (New York Times)

Fareed Zakaria says Netanyahu’s speech was “utterly divorced from reality.” (Washington Post)

Charles Krauthammer says Netanyahu offered a real alternative on Iran. (Washington Post)

Michael Gerson says the White House is conceding too much on Iran. (Washington Post)

Ha’aretz says Netanyahu’s Iran proposals deserve serious discussion after the election, even if he loses. (Ha’aretz)

David Ignatius says targeting terrorist leaders is not enough. (Washington Post)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says the battle for Tikrit is igniting a sectarian war in Iraq. (Al Arabiya)

David Kenner asks if Shiite militias in Iraq are doing more harm than good. (Foreign Policy)

Raed Omari says Iran has a colonial attitudes towards the Arab world. (Al Arabiya)

The Daily Star says its time for Arab states and the rest of the world to agree on a new approach to solving the conflict in Syria. (Daily Star)

 

 

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