News:

Pres. Abbas says the Israeli military can stay for no more than three years in any part of Palestine if a peace agreement is signed. (The Jerusalem Post/The New York Times)

Palestinian negotiators are in Washington to seek further clarifications on the potential framework agreement. (Ha’aretz)

DM Ya'alon questions the PA’s ability to maintain security in the West Bank. (Ha'aretz/The Jerusalem Post/Reuters)

Hamas will allow 120 Fatah members to return to Gaza as a “goodwill gesture.” (Ma’an)

An additional seven Palestinian refugees die of hunger and lack of medical care at the Yarmouk camp in Syria. (Ma’an)

Israeli forces detain 22 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

A Palestinian man leaves an Israeli prison with two university degrees. (AP)

A proposed extension of Israel’s separation barrier could split two Palestinian villages near Bethlehem. (AFP)

An Israeli contractor plans a “Jewish-only” residential project in Jaffa. (Ha'aretz)

Israel keeps Arab teachers out of Jewish religious schools. (Ha'aretz)

The PA is looking to offshore gas to increase its revenues. (Bloomberg)

Oxfam faces pressure to drop Scarlett Johansson as an ambassador over her SodaStream commercial. (Ha’aretz)

The Syria peace talks focus on transfer of power and humanitarian aid. (AP/Reuters)

The US accuses the Syrian regime of harming talks by denying aid. (Reuters)

A US ship will help destroy chemical weapons removed from Syria. (AP/The New York Times)

Lebanese FM Mansour expresses his support for a political solution to the Syrian conflict. (Xinhua)

Former Pres. Morsi appears in court and says he remains Egypt’s president. (AP/The Wall Street Journal)

Tunisia asks the international community for financial support. (Reuters)

Iraq will receive six leased American Apache helicopters in the summer, awaiting the sale of another 24. (Xinhua/Foreign Policy)

Iran says it will preserve and maintain its “peaceful” nuclear program. (Xinhua)

Commentary:

Miriam Awadallah says Israel can and should stop “price tag” attacks. (Huffingtonpost)

Barak Ravid says the Palestinians should accept Sec. Kerry’s framework to test PM Netanyahu’s seriousness. (Ha’aretz)

Sara Hirschhorn says settlers should be allowed to remain in the future Palestinian state. (Ha’aretz)

The Jerusalem Post says if the Palestinians are truly interested in peace then they should tolerate a Jewish minority in their state. (The Jerusalem Post)

Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu’s insistence on controlling the Jordan Valley is politically driven and linked to the settlers’ agenda. (Al Monitor)

Ron Ben-Yishai predicts more violence in the West Bank due to the PA’s “failing governance.” (Ynet)

Sharif Nashashibi asks whether Netanyahu is preparing for another war against Gaza. (Al Arabiya)

David Zonshine says thousands of hi-tech professionals could lose their jobs as result of  international outrage over Israel’s settlement activities. (Ha’aretz)

Faisal Al Yafai says the international community must not allow Geneva II to drag on endlessly. (The National)
 
The National says the Assad regime is positioning itself to claim the moral high ground when the talks fail. (The National)

Michael Glackin say the latest evidence of systematic torture should increase the likelihood of Pres. Assad facing a war crimes tribunal. (The Daily Star)

Camelia Entekhabi-Fard says Iran was more interested in Davos than Geneva II. (Al Arabiya)

The Gulf News says Ennahda may win popularity from their “constructive role” in the approval of the Tunisian constitution. (The Gulf News)

Mohammed Al Ardhi calls on the Gulf governments to invest in human development. (The National)