NEWS:

Hamas plays down increasing tensions with Egypt. (AFP)

Hamas arrests members of the youth group calling for its ouster from power in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Domestic violence against women is reportedly on the rise in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

Sec. Kerry is visiting Europe to discuss several Middle Eastern matters. (AP/Xinhua)

Pres. Abbas will meet with Kerry on Monday. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)

The G20 continues to be divided on Syria. (AFP)

Israel endorses limited American strikes against Syria. (New York Times)

Israelis mull the potential consequences of a potential US strike on Syria. (Christian Science Monitor)

The Pentagon is ordered to expand its list of potential targets in Syria. (New York Times)

AIPAC is reportedly lobbying heavily for Pres. Obama's request for authorization for force from Congress. (Politico)

Reports suggest Iranian proxies in Iraq may strike US targets if the US attacks Syria. (Ha'aretz)

More Israeli-Turkish reconciliation talks are reportedly underway. (YNet)

The ongoing fuel crisis in Gaza may cause a shutdown in its electrical plant. (Times of Israel)

Israel launches a new 24 hour TV news channel in Arabic, English and French. (The Forward)

Israel's mayor in Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, faces a tough reelection fight. (The Forward)

The St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai shuts down. (Al Monitor)

After a lengthy verification process, the UN has reduced its estimate of Palestinian refugees from Syria and Lebanon by half. (The Daily Star)

Several movies at the Venice Film Festival look at the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY:

Anne-Marie Slaughter says Israel and Palestine can be a stable island in a sea of regional disorder. (The Daily Star)

Inna Lazareva profiles a group of Israeli women who mediate between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians at checkpoints. (Al Monitor)

Ilene Prusher says Israel may be building the most political park in the world in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

Hussein Ibish says the United States potentially faces a "Suez moment" of its own if it doesn't act in Syria. (The National)

Robert Scales explains why he thinks the Pentagon might not want an action in Syria. (Washington Post)

Nathan Guttman describes how the White House enlisted the support of Jewish American organizations for a strike on Syria. (The Forward)

A.B. Yehoshua looks at the perennial Israeli problem of defining "who is a Jew." (Ha'aretz)

David Horovitz defines nine challenges facing the Israeli military in the coming year. (Times of Israel)

Dov Maimon says Israel is drifting into a dangerous new level of Jewish tribalism. (The Forward)

Marwan Kabalan says Obama was smart to ask for approval for any strike on Syria. (Gulf News)

Noam Chomsky thinks Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are "a complete farce." (Salon)