Israel Weighs Response After Attacks by Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Fares Akram, Isabel Kershner - June 19, 2012 - 12:00am

Hamas, the Islamic militant group that governs here, fired barrages of rockets into southern Israel on Tuesday after a break of more than a year during which the group largely adhered to an informal cease-fire. By evening, Israel had issued a stern warning that it was examining all possible responses, signaling the potential for a sharp escalation in the area.

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At least 3 killed in attack on Israel-Egypt border
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Maayan Lubell - June 18, 2012 - 12:00am

Militants fired on an Israeli crew building a border barrier on the Egyptian frontier on Monday, killing one of the workers, and Israeli soldiers shot dead two of the infiltrators, the military said. The incident, hours after Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood declared victory in the country's presidential election, raised Israeli concern about lawlessness in Egypt's Sinai desert since the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

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Egypt on way to becoming hotbed of terrorism, but Israel's hands are tied
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - (Analysis) June 18, 2012 - 12:00am

The terrorist attack on Monday morning near Be'er Milka and the firing of Grad rockets toward Ovda and Mitzpeh Ramon over the weekend, alongside numerous reports in Egyptian media of increased activity among Palestinian terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula over the two-day voting period, make it clear that certain sources in Egypt have a clear interest in heating up the Israeli border.

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Hamas informer in Israel on lecture tour
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Amy Teibel - June 14, 2012 - 12:00am

The son of a Hamas founder who renounced his father's militant group to spy for Israel has returned to the Jewish state on a pro-Israel lecture tour, an Israeli official said Thursday. Mosab Yousef was invited by Druse Arab lawmaker Ayoob Kara, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party.

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The warning - and the responsibility
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) June 11, 2012 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's problematic attitude toward the National Security Council was at the center of the complaints voiced against him by former NSC head Uzi Arad. This attitude was also discussed in a State Comptroller's Report that is due to be released shortly.

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Clash kills Palestinian militant, Israeli soldier
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - June 1, 2012 - 12:00am

A Palestinian militant sneaked into Israel early Friday, opening fire on Israeli troops and killing one soldier, the military said. The troops fired back, killing the infiltrator in the incident that touched off fresh violence in the volatile border area, which had been mostly quiet since March. The exchange began after the militant cut through the fence separating the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and southern Israel. The militant started shooting, prompting Israeli troops to respond, said Col. Tal Hermoni.

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2 American tourists kidnapped in Egyptian Sinai
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 31, 2012 - 12:00am

El-ARISH, Egypt (Ma'an) -- Two American tourists were kidnapped by armed men in the Sinai peninsula early Thursday, Egyptian security sources said. Jonathan Shizarlasky and Carter Brabon were kidnapped in the Red Sea city of Nuweiba. The two US citizens were seized at gunpoint from a car near the Hilton hotel and taken to a mountainous area, security sources said.

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Shin Bet chief reports spike in terror plots against Israeli, Jewish targets
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 31, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Militant groups have stepped up efforts to strike both Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide during the past year, says the director of Israel's Shin Bet security service. "We've seen a significant acceleration in attempts to act against Israeli and Jewish targets in the world," Yoram Cohen said in a briefing to parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday.

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Hamas Still Not Ready for Prime Time
In Print by Hussein Ibish - The Daily Beast (Opinion) - April 23, 2012 - 12:00am

In a wide-ranging interview with the Jewish Daily Forward, Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook again demonstrated the difficult position in which his organization finds itself. Due to the Arab uprisings, the region’s strategic landscape is now primarily defined by sectarian allegiances. As a result, Hamas's external leadership is trying to reintegrate the organization into the mainstream Sunni Arab fold, cultivating closer ties with states like Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, while distancing itself from Iran and abandoning Syria altogether.

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Israeli commandoes raid ship searching for arms
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ian Deitch - April 22, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Israeli military officials say navy commandoes have raided a ship flying a Liberian flag on suspicion it was carrying weapons destined for anti-Israel militants. Israeli media reported the ship was searched and then released after no weapons were found. The officials said that Israeli forces boarded the vessel Sunday about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off Israel's coast. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. They said the ship was suspected of smuggling arms but would not disclose further details, calling the raid "routine."

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