News:

A Palestinian injures two Israeli police officers in occupied East Jerusalem. (New York Times/AP)

Israeli soldiers shoot a Palestinian man trying to cross the Gaza border. (Ma'an)

An Israeli girl and her father are wounded in a fire bomb attack in the occupied West Bank. (New York Times/AP/Ma'an)

A 15-year-old Palestinian boy dies from injuries sustained in the summer's Gaza war. (Ma'an)

A Palestinian is injured by PA police in a raid in Nablus. (Ma'an)

Israeli forces seize guns and pipe bombs, and arrest Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post/YNet)

Israeli naval boats open fire on Palestinian fishermen in Gaza. (Ma'an)

Hamas may be rebuilding its military positions in Gaza. (YNet)

Qatar may be preparing to temporarily halt financial assistance to Hamas. (YNet)

Corruption is hampering Gaza reconstruction efforts. (The Guardian)

Israel's Supreme Court orders a West Bank settlement outpost to be demolished. (Los Angeles Times/Ha'aretz)

Israel is halting gas mask production due to a perceived decline in the threat of chemical weapons. (Ha'aretz)

Israeli Amb. to the US Dermer reportedly "flouts regulations" by endorsing PM Netanyahu. (Ha'aretz)

High-tech businesses are thriving in Nazareth. (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Thousands gather in Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations. (Ma'an)

Christians flock to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations. (AP)

Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem find hope in Christmas. (Christian Science Monitor)

In Iraq, some Christmas traditions are only memories. (New York Times)

ISIS is trying to recruit entire families to build its new society. (Washington Post)

ISIS is apparently failing in its efforts to create a viable state in the areas under its rule. (Washington Post)

Serious differences are emerging within the ranks of ISIS. (Ha'aretz)

Fighters from other Syrian opposition groups are increasingly joining ISIS. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Kurdish fighters recapture villages from ISIS. (AP)

Human Rights Watch reiterates that the Syrian government is targeting civilians. (AP)

The Syrian war seems more fragmented than ever. (Reuters)

Syrian peace talks may start in Moscow next month. (AP)

The US says a Jordanian warplane crashed over Syria, and was not shot down by ISIS militants. (BBC)

The father of the Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS pleads for his release. (AP)

Jordan warns ISIS against harming the pilot. (New York Times)

New, independent publishing houses are springing up in Egypt. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Two women arrested for driving in Saudi Arabia are set to be tried in a terrorism court. (BBC)

Commentary:

Alan Phillips says Israeli policies are going to turn Bethlehem into a museum. (The National)

Amira Hass says Hamas knows the people of Gaza don't want another war with Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says it's time to end the blockade of Gaza. (Ha'aretz)

Rana Askoul says Palestinians need to break free from the brutalizing pursuit of vengeance. (The National)

Roger Cohen thinks Tzipi Livni can explain why Israeli-Palestinian peace has failed. (New York Times)

Kai Bird says Israeli should focus on a national Israeli identity, rather than Jewish identity. (New York Times)

Akiva Eldar asks if an independent Palestinian state is the only way to stop Hamas. (Al Monitor)

Amos Harel says Egypt is strangling Gaza, but Israel gets the blame. (Ha'aretz)

Nir Hasson says Netanyahu is already reconciled to a divided Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

David Ignatius says the US has been slow to support Iraqi tribes in the fight against ISIS. (Washington Post)

Michael Jansen says the Iraqi government, too, must back Sunni tribesmen against ISIS. (Jordan Times)

Mshari Al-Zaydi sees interesting similarities in the situations in Egypt and Tunisia. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Avi Issacharoff says Tunisia's election was another defeat for the Muslim Brotherhood. (Times of Israel)

The New York Times says Tunisia's latest successful election means the country has won again. (New York Times)

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed asks if Tunisia's Islamists have "learned their lesson." (Asharq Al Awsat)

H. A. Hellyer asks if Egypt's opposition can learn to get along with each other. (Foreign Policy)

The Guardian condemns the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority states. (The Guardian)