Syria shutters Hamas offices in break with group ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press November 6, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip —A spokesman for Hamas says the Syrian government has sealed its offices in Damascus, finalizing the break between the Islamic militant group and its former patron. Spokesman Ayman Taha said on Tuesday that the move had been expected after Hamas openly switched sides to support the armed rebellion against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Taha says Monday's move by Damascus was "a result of our siding with the Syrian people in their just struggle." Taha spoke from Cairo. » Read more

Israel moves ahead building of 1,200 settler homes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - November 6, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Tuesday that it was pushing forward with construction of more than 1,200 new homes in Jewish settlements, in an apparent warning to the Palestinians to rethink their plan to ask the United Nations to recognize an independent state of Palestine. » Read more

Senior Israeli ministers to discuss 'retaliatory actions' against Palestinians over UN bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - November 6, 2012 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's forum of nine senior ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss the Palestinian Authority's decision to request an upgrade of its status at the United Nations. During the meeting, the country's most senior ministers will consider a range of retaliatory actions against the Palestinian leadership, an official in Jerusalem said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to request the United Nations General Assembly to upgrade Palestine's status to "non-member observer state" during November. » Read more

Israel preparing to ‘ensure collapse’ of Palestinian U.N. bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) November 6, 2012 - 1:00am Israel is preparing to counter a Palestinian bid for enhanced United Nations status later this month, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP on Tuesday. The comments came as Israel’s private Channel 10 reported that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman last month pledged to ensure the “collapse” of the Palestinian Authority if the bid for non-member status at the General Assembly goes forward. » Read more

Netanyahu Says He’d Go It Alone on Striking Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - November 5, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday reiterated his willingness to attack the Iranian nuclear program without support from Washington or the world, returning to an aggressive posture that he had largely abandoned since his United Nations speech in September. » Read more