Daily News Issue Date:
August 20, 2014
News:
News:
Israel [1] and Hamas [2] militants [3] trade fire [4] after talks collapse [5]. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/PNN/The National)
An Israeli [6] airstrike kills the wife and son [7] of Hamas [8]’ military leader Mohammed Deif [9], in an apparent assassination attempt [10]. (Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post/Ma’an/JTA)
The Israeli military recalls 2000 reservists [19]. (Times of Israel)
Egypt [22] calls on Israelis and Palestinians to resume indirect talks. (Xinhua)
Pres. Hollande [23] calls on Israel and the Palestinians to resume negotiations. (Reuters)
UN Special Envoy Serry says the Gaza conflict [24] caused at least three times as much physical damage than that from “Operation Cast Lead.” (Jerusalem Post)
Qatar [25] reportedly threatened to expel Meshaal [26] if Hamas okayed an Egyptian ceasefire proposal [27]. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet/Times of Israel)
FM Lieberman [28] and Economy Minister Bennett [29] disagree over unilateral strategies [30] in Gaza. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)
Israeli-US relations [31] are once again tested in the Gaza war. (AP)
Israeli occupation forces demolish four houses in the West Bank [32]. (Ma’an)
Palestinian poet Samih al-Qasim [33] dies at 75. (AFP)
France [36] calls for an international conference to discuss ways of tackling IS. (Reuters)
Iraqis in the besieged town of Amrili [37] appeal to the army and the international community to intervene. (AP)
Maronite Patriarch Rai arrives in Irbil in support of Iraqi Christians [38]. (Daily Star)
A video [39] apparently shows American [40] journalist James Foley [41] being murdered by IS militants [42]. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/The National)
Commentary:
Ali Ibrahim [43] says Palestinians in Gaza need a real solution on the ground. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Amos Harel [44] profiles Deif. (Ha’aretz)
Barak Ravid [45] says, as Gaza truce talks fail, Israel must turn to the UN. (Ha’aretz)
Zvi Bar’el [46] says Palestinian citizens of Israel should watch out for Israeli racism. (Ha’aretz)
The National [47] says there is no single way to combat IS. (The National)
Faisal Al Yafai [48] says IS is a “cancer” on the Middle East’s politics and society. (The National)
Rami Khouri [49] says Arabs are facing a deep crisis of statehood. (Daily Star)
Ronald Lauder [50] asks who will stand up for Christians in the Middle East. (New York Times)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed [51] asks if Iraq’s new PM designate al-Abadi is another sectarian leader. (Al Arabiya)
Osama Al Sharif [52] says the task of salvaging Iraq is proceeding along distinct political and military tracks. (Jordan Times)
Thomas Friedman [53] gives his take on the “who lost Syria” debate. (New York Times)
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