News:

With deadlines looming in cease-fire negotiations, both sides are
sticking to their core positions. (Los Angeles Times)

Egypt is reportedly seeking another truce extension. (Ha'aretz)

Hamas has reportedly told Egypt it will not resume fighting, whether
there is an agreement or not. (Times of Israel)

Pres. Abbas says Palestinians want an end to the fighting, and Israeli
"killing and destruction." (Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu appears undeterred by Hamas warnings. (Reuters)

The ICC is reportedly under Western pressure not to consider an
investigation regarding Gaza. (The Guardian)

Hundreds of Fatah members are reportedly under house arrest by Hamas
in Gaza. (Times of Israel)

Norway and Egypt will host a Gaza donor conference. (AP)

Norway says funds will be given to the PA, not Hamas, and that a
cease-fire must be in place first. (YNet)

The Gaza conflict is reckoned to have cost $5 billion. (Xinhua)

The PA economics minister says Gaza reconstruction will cost "billions." (Ma'an)

The EU says a return to the status quo ante in Gaza is not an option. (AP)

The suspect in the killing of a Palestinian teenager is the son of a
prominent Israeli Rabbi. (Washington Post)

Israeli occupation forces destroy the homes of Palestinian kidnapping
and murder suspects. (Ma'an)

Hundreds mourn an AP journalist killed in Gaza. (AP)

The emotional wounds of war have taken a bitter toll in Gaza. (AP)

In Gaza, almost any structure with a roof is now important, as
homelessness skyrockets. (New York Times/Al Monitor)

The Gaza conflict has left Palestinian citizens of Israel feeling more
alienated than ever. (Washington Post/Christian Science Monitor)

The Gaza conflict gives rise to new art. (New York Times)

Tariq Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian-American teen beaten by Israeli
occupation forces, has become an "accidental icon." (The Forward)

Israeli occupation forces destroy a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

Israel is going to stop exporting settlement dairy and poultry produce
to the EU. (AFP)

US military aid to Israel since 1962 now exceeds $100 billion. (Ha'aretz)

Kurdish and Iraqi government forces say they have retaken the
country's largest dam from IS extremists. (AP/Reuters/New York
Times/BBC)

IS extremists deny that they have lost control of the dam. (AP)

IS extremists in Syria are reportedly closing in on the last regime
army base in Raqqa Province. (AP)

UK says the campaign against IS in Iraq could last "weeks and months."
(New York Times)

Three Islamist protesters are killed during violent demonstrations in
Egypt. (Xinhua)

Egyptian authorities say gunmen killed one police officer and wounded
another north of Cairo. (AP)

Commentary:

Rami Khouri says "Israeli propaganda is starting to wear thin." (The Daily Star)

Amos Harel says Egypt's cease-fire proposal is a bitter pill for
Hamas. (Ha'aretz)

Avi Issacharoff says since the Egyptian proposal is bad for both
sides, there may be no agreement. (Times of Israel)

Efraim Halevy says Israel needs to reach a cease-fire agreement in Cairo. (YNet)

Ron Ben-Yishai says Hamas has toughened its negotiating position
because it has nothing left to lose. (YNet)

Hugh Naylor says Hamas managed to surprise Israel tactically during
the fighting. (The National)

Uri Savir asks if the US approach to peacemaking will change as a
consequence of the Gaza conflict. (Al Monitor)

Kevin Connolly asks what the future holds for the children of Gaza. (BBC)

Alon Pinkas says Netanyahu is clueless about America. (YNet)

Moshe Arens warns against anti-Arab racism in Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Chibli Mallat and Duncan Pickard say the US can still help Libya.
(Washington Post)

Aliza Marcus and Andrew Apostolou say the US should support Kurds
beyond Iraq. (New York Times)

Joel Rayburn says Iraqi national disintegration may be inevitable.
(Washington Post)

Jim Hoagland asks if the US is fighting for a Middle East that
protects minorities. (Washington Post)

Steven Cook says the US can't dictate what Arab societies will look
like. (Washington Post)

Sajad Jiyad says Iran has lost some leverage in Iraq. (The Daily Star)

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed says IS is bringing enemies together in the
Middle East. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Hussein Ibish asks if the "Islamic State" has any attributes of actual
statehood. (The National)