News:

Fighting continues between Israel and Hamas militants. (AP/Washington Post/The National)

Egypt proposes a new ceasefire plan. (Reuters/AFP/PNN/JTA/Times of Israel)

The Gaza death toll today reaches eight following Israeli airstrikes. (Ma’an)

Gaza militants fire more rockets into Israel. (Ha’aretz/Ynet)

Israeli airstrikes target the Rafah crossing. (Ma’an)

Hamas leader Meshaal vows to exclusively aim only at Israeli military targets if his group can get more sophisticated weapons. (JTA)

A Palestinian teenager describes his ordeal as a captive of the Israeli military. (New York Times)

A poll indicates the majority of Palestinians in Gaza support peace but oppose disarmament. (Ma’an)

Pres. Abbas will reportedly soon appeal to the international community to set a deadline for Israel to end its occupation. (AP/Times of Israel)

Gaza’s water delivery drivers fear death. (AFP)

A Palestinian teenager in the West Bank dies from wounds sustained during clashes with Israeli occupation forces. (Ma’an)

Hamas’ public executions of at least 22 Palestinians has sparked outrage in the West Bank. (The Media Line)

Israel is turning to other arms sources amid uncertainty of US and EU sales. (Ha’aretz)

UN Human Rights Chief Pillay condemns “appalling and widespread” crimes committed by IS. (Reuters/AP)

Iraq’s PM-designate al-Abadi calls on the country's numerous militias and tribes to come under government control. (AP)

Qatar denies funding IS. (AP)

IS militants seize an air base in northern Syria. (Reuters)

The Syrian government says its ready to work with any state to fight IS militants. (Reuters/Xinhua/The National)

The Al-Nusra Front frees an American writer missing since 2012. (Reuters/New York Times)

Academics and archaeologists fight to save Syria’s artifacts. (New York Times/Washington Post/The National)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish looks at the Palestinian unity agreement in the context of the Gaza conflict. (MEPC)

Fahed Fanek says the PA should oversee Gaza reconstruction efforts. (Jordan Times)

Rami Khouri asks if there is a better option that Israelis and Palestinians could explore to end their “mutually destructive militarism.” (Daily Star)

Aaron David Miller looks at the dysfunctional relationship between PM Netanyahu and Pres. Obama. (Los Angeles Times)

Uri Savir says Israel’s policies are creating a de facto binational state. (Al-Monitor)

Suha Arraf says Palestinian citizens of Israel have a right to define their own identity. (Ha’aretz)

Hussein Ibish says the US is at war with IS and this will only intensify and spread. (The National)

The Daily Star says the US acts in Syria and Iraq only when it believes its direct interests are at stake. (Daily Star)

The New York Times says defeating IS will require an organized and longer-term response involving a broad coalition of nations. (New York Times)

Abdullah Bani Ali says Jordan is worried over IS’s ever growing threat. (The National)

Amer Al Sabaileh says IS expansion is still a regional threat. (Jordan Times)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says former PM Maliki is giving bad advice to Al-Abadi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The National says Libya requires a fresh start free from the militias. (The National)

Salman Aldossary asks if the Gulf countries will lose Qatar. (Asharq al-Awsat)

News:

Israeli airstrikes destroy two Gaza high-rise apartment buildings. (AP/New York Times/Ma’an/PNN/Ynet/The National)

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza today reaches six. (Ma’an)

Palestinian militants fire more rockets into Israel, hitting a kindergarten in Ashdod. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Abbas will hold an emergency meeting in Ramallah to discuss initiatives to end the war in Gaza. (Ma’an)

Abbas is reportedly considering a broad international strategy beyond the US led peace process. (New York Times)

Israel is considering the new Egyptian ceasefire proposal. (Ma’an)

Hamas says the language of the Egyptian ceasefire proposal is acceptable. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet)

A Fatah official says “hidden hands” prevented an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. (Ha’aretz)

Hamas leader Meshaal is said to be the last obstacle to a cease-fire. (Ha’aretz)

Gen. Allen will meet with Israeli officials to discuss the possible renewal of peace talks once the Gaza operation ends. (Times of Israel)

PA security officials are questioning the nonprofit of former PM Fayyad over its campaign to help Palestinians in Gaza. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)  

The Palestinian planned city of Rawabi is awaiting for Israel’s approval for water. (New York Times)

Palestinian athlete from Gaza Nader Masri can no longer run. (New York Times)

A poll indicates PM Netanyahu’s approval rating in Israel has plunged to 38 percent. (JTA)

Qatar is reportedly seeking to free more American hostages in Syria. (Reuters)

The US is preparing military options including surveillance flights, to pressure IS in Syria. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/The National) 

Iran is supplying weapons and ammunition to the Iraqi Kurdish forces. (Reuters/The National)

VP Biden calls for the formation of a new Iraqi government. (AP/Washington Post/Xinhua)

A car bombing in Baghdad kills at least 11 people. (AP)

Egypt and the UAE reportedly recently launched joint air strikes on Islamist-allied militias trying to take control of Tripoli. (New York Times)

UN Envoy Leon says he opposes foreign intervention in Libya. (AP)
 

Commentary:

ATFP Exec. Dr. Ghaith Al-Omari and Mara Rudman say reconstruction implementation in Gaza should be led by the PA. (The Hill)

Jean-Pierre Filiu says if there is ever to be Israeli-Palestinian peace, Gaza will be the foundation and the keystone.(New York Times)

Sharif Nashashibi says lifting the siege in Gaza is not enough, Israel must end the occupation. (The National)

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas is worried about the PA’s return to Gaza. (Al-Monitor)

Shlomi Eldar says Abbas is is no position to negotiate for Hamas. (Al-Monitor)

The Media Line interviews EU Amb. to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen. (The Media Line)

Joanne Feinberg Goldstein says the war in Gaza is the Jewish American’s “Vietnam war.” (Ha’aretz)

Fiyaz Mughal says Muslim-Jewish relations must confront the Palestinian issue. (Ha’aretz)

Hussein Ibish says attacking IS, in the long run, is tantamount to attacking the Assad dictatorship. (Now)

Hassan Barari says the US is playing into Pres. Assad’s hands. (Jordan Times)

Aaron David Miller says the US should not expand its mission to strike IS in Syria. (Foreign Policy)

Diana Moukalled asks if after the death of James Foley will the Syrian suffering continue to worsen out of sight of the media. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Mohammad Bazzi says Muqtada Al Sadr is emerging as an unlikely kingmaker in Iraq. (The National)

News:

An Israeli airstrike kills three Hamas commanders in Gaza. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Ma’an/JTA/Ha’aretz)

Israeli airstrikes also kill four Palestinians who were burying their relatives in a cemetery in Gaza. (Ma’an) 

Palestinian militants fire more rockets at Israel. (Ynet)

Israeli authorities announce a state of alert at Ben Gurion airport, following threats from Hamas. (PNN/AFP/Jordan Times/The National)

Hamas accuses Israel of having violated the temporary ceasefire. (Ma’an) 

PM Netanyahu says the Gaza war has been the “hardest blow” to Hamas since its founding. (Ma’an/Xinhua/JTA/Ynet)

Hamas leader Meshaal says the group won’t return to talks unless lsrael changes its policies. (Ynet)

King Abdullah of Jordan calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. (Xinhua/Jordan Times)

Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri says Hamas was responsible for kidnapping and killing the three Israeli teenagers. (Reuters/JTA)

Many blame Qatar for the collapse of Gaza ceasefire talks. (AP)

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from a severe lack of water. (Ha’aretz)

Palestinian business owners in Gaza blame Israel for singling out their factories. (Washington Post)

The US accuses Israel of targeting members of the Abu Khdeir family. (AFP/Times of Israel)

An American official says the US military failed in rescue attempt for journalist James Foley, before he was murdered by IS. (Reuters/New York Times/The National)

Pres. Obama is reportedly unlikely to deepen US military involvement in Iraq or Syria. (Reuters)

An IS video purportedly shows the conversion of Yazidis to Islam. (Reuters)

Commentary:

Samuel Berger and Stephen Hadley say the PA should be brought back to Gaza. (Washington Post)

The Daily Star asks what Israelis want to achieve in the Gaza war. (Daily Star)

Ha’aretz says the only way to end the Gaza conflict, and Israel's isolation, is diplomacy. (Ha’aretz)

Avi Issacharoff says the killing of Hamas commanders will spark desperate attacks against Israel. (Times of Israel)

Jonathan Schanzer and Michael Argosh say Turkey’s support for Hamas agents who allegedly tried to topple Pres. Abbas is putting Pres. Erdogan “in a pickle.” (Foreign Policy)

Zvi Bar’el asks if a signed agreement between Hamas and Israel is necessary. (Ha’aretz)

Akiva Eldar says Israel must end its “separation policy” of isolating Gaza from the West Bank. (Al-Monitor)

Gershon Baskin says a political problem like Gaza cannot be resolved solely with military means. (Jerusalem Post)

Abdullah Erakat says Palestinians are looking for resiliency in post-Gaza tourism. (The Media Line)

Michael Young says putting America first isn’t always the best policy for the US. (The National)

Robin Wright says Obama should be upfront on Iraq. (Los Angeles Times)

David Rothkopf interviews FM Judeh. (Foreign Policy)

Brooklyn Middleton says a year after the chemical weapon massacre in Ghouta, the evil of IS eclipses that of Pres. Assad. (Al Arabiya)

Joyce Karam explains why IS extremists murdered James Foley. (Al Arabiya)

Michael Young says Obama must adequately address the complexity of the situation in Iraq and Syria. (Daily Star)

News:

Israelis and Palestinians agree to extend the Gaza truce for another
24 hours. (New York Times/Reuters)

Negotiations are continuing for a more lasting cease-fire. (AP/Ma'an/Washington Post)

Hamas says this truce extension will be the last one. (Ha'aretz)

Netanyahu says Israel would respond forcefully to any renewed rocket
attacks. (Times of Israel)

The US and Israel may have concluded their own understanding about how
to ease the Gaza blockade. (Times of Israel)

Palestinian officials say Israel has dropped its "demilitarization"
demand. (YNet)

Israeli politicians accuse PM Netanyahu of trying to hide an Egyptian
cease-fire proposal from his cabinet. (Ha'aretz)

Pres. Abbas will meet with Pres. Sis in Cairo on Friday.  (Ma'an)

On Thursday Abbas will meet with the Emir of Qatar and Hamas leader
Mishaal in Doha. (YNet)

The UN says unless the blockade is eased, Gaza faces years of misery
ahead. (Reuters)

The UN offers to monitor Gaza reconstruction materials. (AFP)

The UN says Gaza needs houses and schools, not rockets and tunnels.
(Times of Israel)

Almost 1500 Palestinians were banned from leaving the occupied West
Bank in July. (Ha'aretz)

Israeli forces have arrested at least 93 Hamas operatives in the
occupied West Bank since May. (Ha'aretz)

Israel says it has uncovered a Hamas plot to topple PA control in Area
A of the the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)

Abbas orders an investigation into the purported plot, and says it may
threaten the unity government. (Times of Israel/YNet)

Gaza's ruined airport and unbuilt seaport are symbols of Palestinian
aspirations for independence. (The Guardian)

Chief Palestinian negotiator Erekat says former US Middle East peace
envoy Indyk’s criticisms are unfair. (Al Monitor)

Kurdish forces seize control of Iraq's largest dam from IS extremists,
and are fighting for another one. (New York Times/Reuters)

Pres. Obama confirms the retaking of the dam, which had been 
questioned. (AP/Washington Post/Los Angeles Times)

IS extremists have shot and beheaded hundreds of Syrian tribesmen in
the past two weeks. (AP)

Yazidi survivors are haunted by cries for help from those being buried
alive by IS extremists in Iraq. (Reuters/Los Angeles Times)

In a new Internet video, IS extremists reportedly threaten the United
States and Americans. (YNet/France 24)

The US says Syria's chemical weapons supplies have been completely
destroyed. (New York Times/Los Angeles Times)

Commentary:

Sharif Nashashibi looks at the debate among Palestinians about the
best path to national liberation. (The National)

Aeyal Gross asks why Israelis supported the recent Gaza offensive. (Ha'aretz)

The Daily Star says Gaza is dying a slow death. (The Daily Star)

Naomi Zeveloff says people in Israel and the occupied West Bank
perceived two very different wars. (The Forward)

Oudeh Basharat says Israel's conduct creates ever more enemies. (Ha'aretz)

J.J. Goldberg looks at the relationship between Israeli policies and
global anti-Semitism. (The Forward)

Richard Cohen says Israel is being held to an impossibly high standard
by some. (Washington Post)

Mitch Ginsberg says Israel needs a new war-fighting doctrine. (Times of Israel)

Nahum Barnea says Netanyahu's real problem with Obama is that he's
perceived as a Republican Party operative. (YNet)

Michael Singh says the real crisis in the Middle East is an economic
one. (New York Times)

Ali Hashem says IS extremism in social media must be countered by a
global strategy. (Al Monitor)

Diana Moukalled says IS extremism must be countered at the cultural
level. (Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

With deadlines looming in cease-fire negotiations, both sides are
sticking to their core positions. (Los Angeles Times)

Egypt is reportedly seeking another truce extension. (Ha'aretz)

Hamas has reportedly told Egypt it will not resume fighting, whether
there is an agreement or not. (Times of Israel)

Pres. Abbas says Palestinians want an end to the fighting, and Israeli
"killing and destruction." (Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu appears undeterred by Hamas warnings. (Reuters)

The ICC is reportedly under Western pressure not to consider an
investigation regarding Gaza. (The Guardian)

Hundreds of Fatah members are reportedly under house arrest by Hamas
in Gaza. (Times of Israel)

Norway and Egypt will host a Gaza donor conference. (AP)

Norway says funds will be given to the PA, not Hamas, and that a
cease-fire must be in place first. (YNet)

The Gaza conflict is reckoned to have cost $5 billion. (Xinhua)

The PA economics minister says Gaza reconstruction will cost "billions." (Ma'an)

The EU says a return to the status quo ante in Gaza is not an option. (AP)

The suspect in the killing of a Palestinian teenager is the son of a
prominent Israeli Rabbi. (Washington Post)

Israeli occupation forces destroy the homes of Palestinian kidnapping
and murder suspects. (Ma'an)

Hundreds mourn an AP journalist killed in Gaza. (AP)

The emotional wounds of war have taken a bitter toll in Gaza. (AP)

In Gaza, almost any structure with a roof is now important, as
homelessness skyrockets. (New York Times/Al Monitor)

The Gaza conflict has left Palestinian citizens of Israel feeling more
alienated than ever. (Washington Post/Christian Science Monitor)

The Gaza conflict gives rise to new art. (New York Times)

Tariq Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian-American teen beaten by Israeli
occupation forces, has become an "accidental icon." (The Forward)

Israeli occupation forces destroy a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

Israel is going to stop exporting settlement dairy and poultry produce
to the EU. (AFP)

US military aid to Israel since 1962 now exceeds $100 billion. (Ha'aretz)

Kurdish and Iraqi government forces say they have retaken the
country's largest dam from IS extremists. (AP/Reuters/New York
Times/BBC)

IS extremists deny that they have lost control of the dam. (AP)

IS extremists in Syria are reportedly closing in on the last regime
army base in Raqqa Province. (AP)

UK says the campaign against IS in Iraq could last "weeks and months."
(New York Times)

Three Islamist protesters are killed during violent demonstrations in
Egypt. (Xinhua)

Egyptian authorities say gunmen killed one police officer and wounded
another north of Cairo. (AP)

Commentary:

Rami Khouri says "Israeli propaganda is starting to wear thin." (The Daily Star)

Amos Harel says Egypt's cease-fire proposal is a bitter pill for
Hamas. (Ha'aretz)

Avi Issacharoff says since the Egyptian proposal is bad for both
sides, there may be no agreement. (Times of Israel)

Efraim Halevy says Israel needs to reach a cease-fire agreement in Cairo. (YNet)

Ron Ben-Yishai says Hamas has toughened its negotiating position
because it has nothing left to lose. (YNet)

Hugh Naylor says Hamas managed to surprise Israel tactically during
the fighting. (The National)

Uri Savir asks if the US approach to peacemaking will change as a
consequence of the Gaza conflict. (Al Monitor)

Kevin Connolly asks what the future holds for the children of Gaza. (BBC)

Alon Pinkas says Netanyahu is clueless about America. (YNet)

Moshe Arens warns against anti-Arab racism in Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Chibli Mallat and Duncan Pickard say the US can still help Libya.
(Washington Post)

Aliza Marcus and Andrew Apostolou say the US should support Kurds
beyond Iraq. (New York Times)

Joel Rayburn says Iraqi national disintegration may be inevitable.
(Washington Post)

Jim Hoagland asks if the US is fighting for a Middle East that
protects minorities. (Washington Post)

Steven Cook says the US can't dictate what Arab societies will look
like. (Washington Post)

Sajad Jiyad says Iran has lost some leverage in Iraq. (The Daily Star)

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed says IS is bringing enemies together in the
Middle East. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Hussein Ibish asks if the "Islamic State" has any attributes of actual
statehood. (The National)
 

News:

Palestinians succumb to their wounds, bringing in the Gaza death toll
to 1,980. (Ma'an)

Gaza is beginning to calculate the scale of the damage. (The Guardian)

Subtle voices of dissent against Hamas emerge in Gaza. (AP)

The PA's popularity may also have been a casualty of the Gaza
conflict. (The National)

Palestinians express cautious optimism about cease-fire negotiations
in Cairo. (AP/YNet)

Egyptian officials say a potential cease-fire agreement involves
Israeli recognition of the Palestinian unity government. (Ha'aretz)

Islami Jihad predicts a cease-fire will be signed after the ongoing
five-day truce ends. (Ma'an)

Israel has been reportedly outflanking the White House with the
Pentagon, Congress and others. (Wall Street Journal)

The recent Gaza hostilities are just another round in an ongoing and
cyclical conflict. (New York Times)

Reuters profiles Hamas' paramilitary leader Mohammed Deif. (Reuters)

Despite the devastation, Gaza schools are preparing to open in
September. (Ma'an)

Deputy PM Abu Amr says the Palestinian unity government will lead
reconstruction in Gaza. (Ma'an)

PM Netanyahu hints that Israel will not cooperate with a UN
investigation into possible rights abuses during the Gaza hostilities.
(Times of Israel)

Israel braces for the investigation. (New York Times)

Israeli occupation forces are reprimanded for celebrating after
shooting a Palestinian who was trying to throw a Molotov cocktail. (Times
of Israel)

The defense in the Arab Bank terrorism financing civil trial cites
error to explain suspect payments. (New York Times/AP)

An anti-Arab group in Israel plans to disrupt a Jewish-Muslim wedding
celebration. (Ha'aretz)

PM al-Maliki resigns as Prime Minister of Iraq. (BBC/New York Times/Reuters)

The UN Security Council will vote on a resolution aimed at IS
extremists. (New York Times)

The EU is considering arming Kurdish forces in Iraq. (BBC)

Kurdish officials say IS leader Baghdadi has fled to Syria. (Asharq Al Awsat)

American officials say IS is now a threat to the West. (Wall Street Journal)

The Pentagon said there were still 4-5,000 Yazidis trapped on a
mountaintop in northern Iraq, but most have reportedly escaped by now.
(AFP/Washington Post/Los Angeles Times)

The Syrian army seizes towns near Damascus. (Reuters/BBC)

Hillary Clinton's efforts to develop a more robust US
policy toward Syria were blocked for years by Pres. Obama. (Daily
Beast)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish, Jonathan Schanzer and Aaron David Miller consider the
outcome and aftermath of the Gaza conflict. (Video: C-SPAN)

Yoel Marcus says no one wins these cyclical Israel-Hamas conflicts,
and another will happen again. (Ha'aretz)

Miriam Awadallah says Israelis and Palestinians need "strong moral
courage" to achieve peace. (An-Nahar)

Mira Awad says Israelis and Palestinians seem trapped. (Ha'aretz)

Amnon Abramovich questions what Israel accomplished in the Gaza
hostilities. (YNet)

Nicholas Blincoe looks at the relationship between the PA, which
functions under occupation, and its critics in the diaspora. (London
Review of Books)

Mohammad Dajani Daoudi says if Israelis and Palestinians care about
the future they must invest in empathy and moderation. (The Atlantic)

Archbishop Tutu urges Israelis to liberate themselves from being
occupiers by liberating Palestine from occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Gideon Levy and Alex Levac detail the killing of a Palestinian man by
Israeli occupation forces. (Ha'aretz)

Raphael Ahren looks at how intense new US-Israel tensions really are.
(Times of Israel)

Marwan Kabalan looks at Iran's dilemma in the Fertile Crescent. (Gulf News)

The New York Times says the al-Maliki saga shows the futility of
regime change as a policy. (New York Times)

Tariq Alhomayed says the downfall of al-Maliki should be a lesson for
Pres. Assad. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Mohsin Khan looks at the damage IS is causing to the Iraqi economy.
(Atlantic Council)

David Ignatius says IS won't implode, but will have to be "fought,
patiently and subtly." (Washington Post)

The National says IS is a symptom, not a cause, of power vacuums in
Syria and Iraq. (The National)

News:

The temporary truce in Gaza is extended for another five days. (AP/AFP)

Cease-fire negotiations face new hurdles. (Reuters/Xinhua/Los Angeles Times)

Israeli officials blame Hamas leader Mishaal for the cease-fire
impasse. (Jerusalem Post)

The US halts the transfer of hellfire missiles to Israel. (Wall Street
Journal/Ha'aretz/YNet)

Israeli politicians argue about the state of bilateral relations with
the United States. (Jerusalem Post)

Two journalists are among the six killed in a bomb disposal accident
in Gaza. (New York Times)

57 Palestinians are arrested for "rioting" in occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

A Palestinian dies after being struck by a settler car in the occupied
West Bank. (Ma'an)

The Arab Bank terrorism financing civil lawsuit goes to the jury. (AP)

The Pentagon says the IS siege on a mountain in northern Iraq is over,
allowing thousands of Yazidis to survive, but some are reportedly
still trapped. (New York Times/Washington Post)

Many Iraqi Christians no longer feel at home given the rise of IS.
(Los Angeles Times)

Pres. Obama is considering US policy options towards IS. (AP)

The UN raises the humanitarian crisis level in Iraq to the highest
possible threat. (AP/BBC)

Asharq Al Awsat profiles Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Al-Abadi.
(Asharq Al Awsat)

The US says it will provide more weapons to the Lebanese military. (AP)

Saudi Arabia gives $100 million to the United Nations
Counter-Terrorism Center. (New York Times)

Commentary:

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas believes its most important tunnels are
intact. (Al Monitor)

Avi Issacharoff says Hamas may not return to cease-fire negotiations.
(Times of Israel)

Udi Dekel asks if Israel is facing a war of attrition with Hamas. (INSS)

Mitch Ginsberg asks if the Gaza blockade is unraveling. (Times of Israel)

George Hishmeh says the White House seems to have conflicting stances
regarding Palestinians. (Gulf News)

Gershon Baskin says Israel doesn't seem to have a post-conflict
strategy. (Jerusalem Post)

The National says Israel is trying to crush the Palestinians spirit by
attacking soccer, but is not succeeding. (The National)

Anna Altman says, whether there is a resurgence of anti-Semitism or
not, Israel has lost the PR war in Europe. (New York Times)

Ari Shavit says Israeli liberals need to face the brutality of the
contemporary Middle East. (Ha'aretz)

Michael Hanna says Egyptian foreign policy is entirely fixated on
smashing Islamists everywhere. (Foreign Policy)

The Washington Post says "mission creep" in Iraq is inevitable.
(Washington Post)

David Horsey says, despite criticism, US airstrikes in Iraq are
preventing genocide. (Los Angeles Times)

James Jeffrey outlines how PM al-Maliki "broke Iraq." (Politico)

Michael Jansen says American policies are crucial for the prospects of
defeating IS in Iraq. (Jordan Times)

Joyce Karam looks at conspiracy theories in Lebanon, especially about
IS. (Al Arabiya)

Suzanne Kianpour also looks at Lebanese conspiracy theories about IS. (BBC)

Hussein Ibish offers an explanation for the rise in IS conspiracy
theories among Sunni Arabs. (NOW)

Robert Ford says, while IS is fighting in Iraq, moderate opposition
groups are gaining ground in Syria. (Foreign Policy)

Frederic Hof says saving Syria is no fantasy and strongly critiques US
policy. (Politico)

Michael Young says Christian communities are threatened in the Middle
East, but in Lebanon are also self-destructive. (Daily Star)

Alaa Al Aswany says when Egyptians become xenophobic, it reflects the
attitudes of their leaders, not the people. (New York Times)

News:

Palestinians are considering Egypt's proposal for a long-term Gaza
cease-fire. (AP/Reuters/Ma'an)

With a central role in cease-fire negotiations, Pres. Abbas is staging
a political comeback. (New York Times)

More Palestinians in Gaza are beginning to question Hamas's decisions
in the conflict. (Washington Post)

Five, including an Italian journalist, are killed during a
bomb-disposal accident in Gaza. (New York Times/Ma'an)

Israel's targeting of mosques has strained the social fabric of Gaza. (AP)

Israel strips a Palestinian who has been living in Canada of Jerusalem
residency rights. (Ha'aretz)

Former Pres. Mubarak defends his record in court. (AP/Xinhua)

France is planning to send weapons to Kurdish forces in Iraq. (New
York Times/AP)

The US is sending another 130 military advisers to Iraq. (New York Times)

PM al-Maliki's efforts to stay in power appear to be collapsing, but
he warns of chaos if he is replaced. (New York Times/AP)

IS militants seize two more Syrian towns. (AP)

Reuters looks at IS's recent series of successes in Syria and Iraq. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY:

Emma Pearson and Katie Welsford say while Hamas blurred the line
between civilians and military, Israel may have deleted it altogether.
(Asharq Al Awsat)

Gershom Gorenberg asks if Pres. Obama will "take advantage" of the
current tensions with Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Ben Capsit says Obama and many other Americans have failed to
understand PM Netanyahu and Israeli domestic politics. (Al Monitor)

Osama Al Sharif says Egypt should push for a more comprehensive
approach in Gaza cease-fire negotiations. (Jordan Times)

Peter Beinart says Hillary Clinton is the latest American politician
to act as "Israel's lawyer." (Ha'aretz)

Eugene Bird says it's time to lift the siege of Gaza. (Los Angeles Times)

Joseph Lieberman says the US has a chance to stop IS and supports
current airstrikes. (Washington Post)

Patrick Johnston and Benjamin Bahney say the US should try to dry up
IS's cash flow. (New York Times)

David Ignatius says IS is making mistakes Osama bin Laden warned
against. (Washington
Post)\

Doyle McManus says, like it or not, the US is back at war in Iraq.
(Los Angeles Times)

Asharq Al Awsat interviews  Egypt’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Shawqi Alla.
(Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

Cease-fire negotiations continue in Cairo as the temporary truce
holds. (AP/Reuters)

Hamas insists the people of Gaza have "nothing left to lose." (Al Monitor)

Israel's delegation reportedly appears to be open to measures easing
the Gaza blockade. (Ma'an/Ha'aretz)

Hamas is reportedly open to allowing PA security forces to monitor the
crossing with Egypt. (Jerusalem Post/Asharq Al-Awsat)

The head of the PA delegation to the Cairo negotiations says Hamas
rule in Gaza is "over." (Times of Israel)

Israeli officials say gaps in the negotiations are still "very wide."
(Times of Israel)

The costs of destruction from the war in Gaza are estimated at $5
billion. (Al Monitor)

Israeli warships open fire on Palestinian fishing vessels near Rafah. (Ma'an)

Palestinians are pushing for the creation of a Gaza seaport in
cease-fire negotiations in Cairo. (New York Times)

The Foreign Press Association condemns Hamas's censorship and
restrictions against journalists. (YNet)

Palestinian families are divided by Israeli policies. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

US welcomes the appointment of a new Iraqi Prime Minister designate.
(New York Times)

Iran also expresses support for the Iraqi Prime Minister designate. (AP)

PM al-Maliki orders the Iraqi Army to stay out of politics. (AP)

Al-Maliki appears more isolated than ever as tensions rise in Baghdad.
(AP/Reuters)

The New York Times profiles IS leader al-Baghdadi. (New York Times)

American officials reportedly admit they were taken aback by the rapid
rise of IS in Iraq. (Ha'aretz)

Human Rights Watch says "crimes against humanity" may have been
committed in Egypt last summer. (AP/Washington Post)

The Libyan Parliament agrees to direct presidential elections. (Reuters)

Commentary:

David Kenner says battle-hardened militants in Gaza see the current
truce as only temporary and want to keep fighting. (Foreign Policy)

Avi Issacharoff says talk of a deal in Cairo may be unduly optimistic.
(Times of Israel)

Raphael Ahren asks what Israel is expected to get out of the
negotiations. (Times of Israel)

Gadi Taub says many on the Israeli left supported the Gaza war because
Hamas opposes a two-state solution. (The Forward)

Janine Zacharia asks why Israel didn't use tunnel mapping technology
to avoid fatalities in Gaza. (Washington Post)

Uri Arad says the "Hannibal Directive" is the beginning of fascism in
Israel. (YNet)

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed says IS is wittingly or unwittingly serving
Pres. Assad and al-Maliki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The New York Times says Iraq needs a new prime minister. (New York Times)

Ali Allawi says Iraqis need a prime mister who can unite them. (New York Times)

Ziad al-Ali says Iraqi institutions must be rebuilt from the top down.
(New York Times)

David Brooks says Hillary Clinton seems to be offering a wise
alternative on Iraq and other foreign policy challenges to Pres.
Obama's policies. (New York Times)

Aaron David Miller says Obama remains a risk-averse president, and
that's a good thing. (Foreign Policy)

Hassan Hassan says a new Iraqi Prime Minister presents important
opportunities for Arab Gulf states. (The National)

The Gulf News says Qatar must stop fighting with its GCC partners. (Gulf News)