ATFP News Roundup October 7, 2016

News:

UN Security Council to hold special meeting on Israeli settlements next week. (Ha'aretz)

Vice President Joe Biden said Shimon Peres’ legacy should be one of tolerance at a time of rising bigotry. (JTA/Times of Israel)

The 81-year-old Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, underwent an emergency heart procedure on Thursday after suffering exhaustion and chest pains, but was given a clean bill of health and quickly discharged from the hospital. (AP)

Israeli police escorted by Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet, raided and closed several institutions in Nazareth and Um al-Fahem in northern Israel allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Movement, reportedly confiscating equipment and computers. (Ma'an)

Israeli forces closed all the stores in the village of Huwwara in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus, and prevented residents from the town from passing through the Beita crossroads after Palestinians allegedly threw rocks at Israeli settler vehicles on the main road. (Ma'an)

Israeli naval forces opened live fire at Palestinian fishing boats of the coast of Gaza city on Friday, before detaining two Palestinian fishermen and confiscating their boat. (Ma'an)

Hundreds of supporters of Mohammed Dahlan, a dismissed leader of the Fatah movement in Gaza exiled from the occupied Palestinian territory, marched on Unknown Soldier square in central Gaza on Thursday and burned pictures of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Ma'an)

The British government’s Department for International Development has reportedly frozen part of its aid to the Palestinian Authority over concerns the aid was being used to fund salaries for convicted Palestinian terrorists. (Times of Israel)

Groups representing liberal streams of Judaism appealed to Israel's Supreme Court Thursday to force the government to implement its decision on equal prayer at a key Jewish holy site. (AP)

Rebels holed up in Aleppo can leave with their families if they lay down their arms, President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday, vowing to press on with the assault on Syria's largest city and recapture full control of the country. (Reuters)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Russia on Friday to use its influence with the Syrian government to end the devastating bombardment of Aleppo, as her government opened the door to possible sanctions against Russia for its role in the conflict. (Reuters)

In Lebanon, getting Syrian children in school a huge task. (Reuters)

Modern technology is used to reproduce artifacts that were destroyed in Iraq and Syria; the results are on display at the Colosseum in Rome. (New York Times)

Involving Shi'ite militias in an operation to drive Islamic State out of the Iraqi city of Mosul will not bring peace, Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday, adding that Turkish-trained forces should be involved. (Reuters)

Some former officials and aid groups worry that President Obama will begin a ground campaign in Iraq without a comprehensive plan for what happens afterward. (New York Times)

The implementation of a landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers is still fragile, the head of the U.N. agency that polices Iran's side of the deal has said, warning that small mistakes could have grave consequences. (Reuters)

Millions of Moroccans headed out to vote Friday, with worries about joblessness and extremism on their minds as they chose which party will lead their next government. (AP)

Commentary:

The New York Times says the latest Israeli settlement in the West Bank makes it more urgent for the United Nations to help forge a peace agreement with the Palestinians. (New York Times)

Akiva Eldar says American presidents have made historic speeches about the Middle East, and have delivered inspiring eulogies at the funerals of PM Rabin and Pres. Peres — but all that has not brought peace any closer. (Al-Monitor)

Ahmad Abu Amer says Palestinians are not convinced by the Palestinian Authority's (PA) justifications for delaying a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity. (Al-Monitor)

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas might be issuing a document soon detailing its stances toward various aspects of the Palestinian cause, as well as its ties with local parties and foreign countries. (Al-Monitor)

Rasha Abou Jalal says Fatah’s Central Committee announced the holding of the movement’s seventh conference after a seven-year absence, which would help unite Fatah’s ranks and prepare it for any future elections. (Al-Monitor)

Raphael Ahren says while empathizing with Gazans during 2014 war, Antonio Guterres has mostly stayed mum on the Palestinian question. (Times of Israel)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says everyone wants to have the honor of defeating ISIS. There are high expectations as they are all confident that they will finally liberate Mosul, even if there are no estimates about the duration of the war and its human cost. (Al Arabiya)