NEWS:

New Israeli settlement expansions raise tensions in the run-up to the second round of direct negotiations with the Palestinians. (New York Times/AP/Los Angeles times)

Palestinians may be considering skipping the next round of talks because of the new settlements. (Xinhua/AFP)

Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf strongly endorses the goal of Palestinian independence in the occupied territories. (The Guardian)

Israel lists 26 Palestinian prisoners scheduled to be released this week. (AP/Reuters)

Palestinian families await the return of prisoners not seen for decades. (Ha'aretz)

A Palestinian man is killed, and another wounded, by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Hamas forces launch a crackdown on Fatah in Gaza. (Ma'an)

Amnesty International urges Hamas to stop executing prisoners. (PNN)

Hamas officials say Egypt has reopened the Gaza crossing after four days of closure. (Xinhua)

Palestinian officials say the West Bank economy is starting to improve. (PNN)

Palestinians continue to struggle to build their first planned city in the occupied territories, Rawabi. (New York Times)

The new EU occupation guidelines may cost Israel hundreds of millions of dollars in lost research funding. (AP)

Syrian singer Asala Nasri, a strong supporter of the Syrian opposition, gives a rare performance by a Syrian citizen in the occupied West Bank. (AP)

PM Netanyahu undergoes successful hernia surgery. (AP)

An Israeli drone strike kills five militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. (AP)

Israel's airport near Sinai is reopened after a temporary security closure. (Xinhua)

Upper Nazareth's mayor seems determined to try to keep his town exclusively Jewish. (Ha'aretz)

Right-wing Israeli politician Tzachi Hanegbi will attend this year's annual J Street conference. (JTA)

Lebanese officials deny there has been any decision to prevent Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria to enter Lebanon. (Naharnet)


COMMENTARY:

Avi Issacharoff says even if Israel's new settlement units are built in "consensus" blocs, this is no way to build trust. (Times of Israel)

Ilan Baruch says pressure from the US and Europeans, along with the Arab Peace Initiative, could produce successful talks. (YNet)

Gershon Baskin says economic growth and prosperity are essential, but not enough to produce peace. (Jerusalem Post)

Barak Ravid says, if Netanyahu wants Americans, Palestinians and, above all, Israelis, to take him seriously on peace, he has to change his familiar tactics. (Ha'aretz)

Adel Safty says Israel is making a mockery of the peace process. (Gulf News)

David Harris says everyone needs to give the peace process a chance. (Huffington Post)

Natan Odenheimer says Palestinian identity is constantly evolving. (Times of Israel)

Francesca Borri thinks that for many Palestinians national unity is more important than peace talks with Israel. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Efraim Halevy says Israel may be missing a big opportunity with the change of leadership in Iran. (YNet)

Oudeh Basharat says vicious racism against Arabs in Israel is nothing new, but it's getting much worse. (Ha'aretz)

Amir Fuchs says Israel is not just for Jews, despite what Upper Nazareth's mayor seems to think. (Ha'aretz)

Noah Beck says Palestinians shouldn't be allowed to monopolize the refugee issue. (YNet)

The Jerusalem Post says Israel and Egypt should renegotiate parts of their peace treaty to deal with the security crisis in Sinai. (Jerusalem Post)

Hugh Naylor says Israel and Egypt have little choice but to cooperate on Sinai. (The National)

Ben Caspit says the Israeli military is preparing for another conflict with Hezbollah. (Al Monitor)