Israel legalizes West Bank settler outposts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - April 24, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Israel legalized three unsanctioned West Bank settler outposts and was trying to save another on Tuesday, infuriating the Palestinians as the chief American Mideast envoy was in the region laboring to revive peace efforts. The decision fueled suspicions that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline coalition would try to legalize as many rogue settlement sites as possible to cement Israel's hold on occupied land the Palestinians claim for a state. » Read more

Hamas holds secret elections, picks Haniyeh as head of Gaza politburo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - April 24, 2012 - 12:00am Hamas recently held secret elections for the leadership of the organization's Gaza political bureau, officials in the militant group told Haaretz. According to the officials, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh won the race by a significant margin. The win in effect makes Haniyeh the Strip's first recognized Hamas political leader since Israel's assassination of Hamas' former Gaza political chief Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in 2004. » Read more