News:
A missile fired by Hezbollah strikes an Israeli military convoy, killing two soldiers andinjuring seven. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/Ma’an/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post/The Daily Star)
A UN peacekeeper is killed in southern Lebanon, as Israel shells areas near the borderafter Hezbollah targeted its vehicles. (AFP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Ynet/Jerusalem Post/The Daily Star)
The Israeli army has begun searching for tunnels that Hezbollah may have dug near the Lebanese border. (Reuters/Ha’aretz/Ynet)
The US has reportedly asked Pres. Abbas to delay his plans to submit another resolution to the UNSC. (PNN/Jerusalem Post)
Palestinians attack a UN compound in Gaza, following the suspension of an aid program. (AP)
Hamas calls UNRWA’s decision to suspend funding for displaced Gazans "shocking." (Ma’an)
B’tselem says the Israeli military violated international law in dozens of Gaza war strikes. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/The National)
A 14-year old Palestinian girl, sentenced to two months in prison for throwing rocks, has become a cause célèbre. (AP)
A Palestinian human rights group urges authorities to abolish the death penalty. (AFP)
A Fatah leader’s car is torched in Gaza. (Ma’an)
PM Netanyahu’s upcoming speech before Congress is causing a backlash in Israeli elections. (New York Times)
Jordan says it is willing to swap an Iraqi woman prisoner for the Jordanian pilotcaptured by ISIS. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/The National/Jordan Times)
An American official says its too soon to announce “mission accomplished” in Kobani. (Reuters)
Iran says Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian will soon face trial. (AP/Washington Post)
Democrats in the Senate say they will not push for a vote on Iran sanctions until after a midway deadline in Iran talks. (JTA/Times of Israel)
Commentary:
Avi Issacharoff asks if Hezbollah is trying to draw Israel into a ground offensive. (Times of Israel)
Ron Ben-Yishai says Israel must think hard about its response to latest Hezbollah attack. (Ynet)
Yossi Mekelberg says Israel, Iran and Hezbollah might not exercise extra caution and may find themselves entangled in a much bigger and bloodier conflict. (Al Arabiya)
Sultan Barakat says it is imperative for the international community, led by Europe, to rebuild Gaza immediately. (The National)
Zvi Bar’el says unity among Arab parties in Israel is in everybody’s interest. (Ha’aretz)
Ben Caspit says the commander of Hamas’ paramilitary Qassam Brigades, Muhammed al-Deif is still alive. (Al-Monitor)
Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas has begun a “swift rapprochement” with Hezbollah and Iran. (Al-Monitor)
Jeffrey Goldberg looks at “Netanyahu’s disaster.” (The Atlantic)
Ron Kampeas says Netanyahu’s Congress speech is roiling the pro-Israel lobby, Jewish members of Congress and the White House. (JTA)
Yonit Levi and Udi Segal look at what really divides Pres. Obama and Netanyahu. (Ha’aretz)
Peter Beinart says “by blatantly dissing” Obama, Netanyahu is endangering his support among Democrats. (Ha’aretz)
The Forward says Netanyahu’s speech risks alienating many more American Jews whose support he may no longer take for granted. (The Forward)
Michael Young says Hafez Al Assad's efforts to mould Syria into an independent regional power have been discredited by the actions of his son. (The National)
Angelina Jolie recounts her recent experience visiting Syrian and Iraqi refugee camps. (New York Times)
The Jordan Times says the attempt by ISIS to link the fate of a convicted terrorist to the lives of a Jordanian and a Japanese hostage is a “ludicrous ploy.” (Jordan Times)
Aaron David Miller says Middle Eastern terrorism exists primarily because the Arab world is a “broken, angry, and dysfunctional place.” (Foreign Policy)
Haykal Bafana says the old Yemeni model has been replaced by the new Houthi model, with its simple adage: “violence pays.” (New York Times)
David Ignatius says security assistance does not work in weak states like Yemen. (Washington Post)
Salman Aldossary says the number of points on which Riyadh and Washington see eye to eye far exceed those they differ on. (Asharq al-Awsat)
David Weinberg says King Salman has “troubling ties to radical Islamists.” (Foreign Policy)
The Daily Star says the US must restore Saudi Arabia’s trust in American foreign policy. (Daily Star)
John Duke Anthony remembers the late King Abdullah. (Al Arabiya)
Hussein Ibish looks at how we should define Islamophobia in order to combat bigotry and protect free speech. (NOW)
Front Page Features