NEWS:

Palestinian-American NFL player Oday Aboushi of the New York Jets is subjected to bigoted attacks based on his Palestinian heritage. (The Nation)

Sec. Kerry is due to make his next visit to the region for more peace efforts next week, depending on his wife's health condition. (Jerusalem Post)

Egyptian prosecutors plan to investigate whether Hamas was involved in a 2011 prison break that freed former Pres. Morsi, among others. (AP)

Egypt closes the border crossing with Gaza for Friday, but says it will reopen it on Saturday. (Ma'an)

Egyptian officials reportedly feel the security situation in the Sinai Peninsula is spiraling out of control. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Hamas denies 32 of its operatives were killed in a recent Egyptian offensive in Sinai. (Jerusalem Post)

Fatah officials urge Hamas to abandon the regional Muslim Brotherhood and focus on Palestinian national unity instead. (Al Monitor)

Israeli soldiers who arrested a five-year-old Palestinian child for throwing stones in the occupied West Bank are cleared of wrongdoing by their superiors. (New York Times)

The arrest of the young Palestinian child is heavily criticized by Israeli human rights groups. (AP)

PA officials warn that Israeli policies are undermining the raison d'être of the Authority and weakening moderates. (Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Abbas comes under unprecedented, scathing attack as a "tyrant" in an article by Sufian Abu Zaida, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council. (Ha'aretz)

Israeli officials reportedly believe the threat of widespread European boycotts against Israel is real. (Ha'aretz)

A computer model finds a two-state solution is the best prospect for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

Israel's military is beefing up its presence on its northern border. (AP)

Israel is planning a Red Sea marine barrier along the coast with Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula. (YNet)

Israel's military is cutting its size, but not its capabilities. (Xinhua)

Around 75,000 worshipers pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. (Ma'an)

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs and ATFP hold joint meetings with officials in Washington urging support for a two-state solution. (JTA)

Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel says Israel is ready to, and should, build 10,000 new settler housing units in and around occupied East Jerusalem. (AFP)

Israel's High Court delays the evacuation of an "unauthorized" settlement outpost. (Jerusalem Post)

A new poll suggests one third of Jewish Israelis support the building of a "Third Temple." (Ha'aretz)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics says the Palestinian population in the occupied territories has reached 4.4 2 million. (PNN)

The Red Crescent Society of the United Arab Emirates is donating $2.1 Million to UNRWA for an East Jerusalem Health Centre. (PNN)

COMMENTARY:

Avraham Burg says the changing strategic landscape in the Middle East opens many possibilities for Israel on peace. (Ha'aretz)

Yoel Marcus says Israel's refusal to change its policies in a rapidly transforming regional environment is extremely dangerous. (Ha'aretz)

Michael Gerson says a two-state solution is in everyone's interest, but Kerry has an uphill task in trying to make progress towards one. (Washington Post)

Ehud Yaari looks at the security crisis in Sinai. (WINEP)

Alan Elsner says Israeli ambassador-designate Dermer will have to overcome his reputation as a "conservative ideologue." (Ha'aretz)

Avi Issacharoff looks at the possibility of a flareup in Gaza following the ouster of Morsi. (Times of Israel)

Ari Remez says it's appropriate for Israelis to host and attend a play about Rachel Corrie. (Jerusalem Post)

Asmaa al-Ghoul says while Hamas and Fatah bicker, a Tamarod social media movement is gathering steam in Palestine. (Al Monitor)