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4 ways US and Iran can make nuclear talks work

The Moscow talks on Iran’s nuclear program ended in stalemate June 19, as both cynics and optimists anticipated. While low-level experts will meet in July, the next set of sanctions against Iran are scheduled to kick in within weeks, arguably restarting the whole negotiating process. The next time around, the parties should consider broadening their approach in these four ways.
Osama bin Laden papers: top 5 revelations

A new trove of letters seized during the Osama bin Laden raid paint an intimate picture of the inner workings and struggles of Al Qaeda, from its dabbling in the stock market to practices that would make any Mafia don proud.
Who is Hamas? 5 questions about the Palestinian militant group.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to form a unity government led by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and head of rival Palestinian faction Fatah. But who is Hamas? What is their relationship with Fatah, and what might Hamas gain from reconciling with them? Here are five key questions about Hamas.
Three factors that will determine Syria’s future

The most realistic scenario in Syria is quagmire: Assad still has loyalty; the opposition is splintered, though protests continue; and the international community is indecisive, including the Arab League. But stalemate could finally prompt foreign intervention and a needed ‘safe zone. Benedetta Berti, a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies of Tel Aviv University, lists the three factors that will determine Syria’s future.
Q&A: What's with the war talk surrounding Iran?

Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have escalated in recent weeks as the US and Europe ramp up sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

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Olive Press Gazans struggle to reel in a livelihood

One man alone used to employ more than 2,000 fishermen to bring in Gaza's daily catch, but Israel has reduced the areas in which Palestinians may fish, curbing the number of accessible fish.
In Syria, terrorist designation means more go hungry

The presence of an Al Qaeda-linked group among Syria's rebels and past US prosecutions of those who've supported groups it deems terrorists has slowed the flow of food and medical aid to Syria.
Briefing: Palestinian factions agree to reconcile

Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian factions, have put a three-month deadline on efforts to mend their long-standing differences.
KFC smugglers bring buckets of chicken through Gaza tunnels

Gazans with a hankering for the Colonel's secret recipe can call up a delivery company and get some finger lickin' food smuggled hot from Egypt in just three hours.
Olive Press Palestinian woman with prison legacy feels betrayed by her own

Umm Abdullah, whose husband is on his 14th turn in prison and has been imprisoned herself, is angry with Palestinian officials for cooperating with Israelis to arrest Palestinians.
Israeli airstrike in Syria brings Iran onstage, raising risk of proxy war

Iran dismissed Israeli claims that yesterday's airstrike in Syria targeted Iranian weapons destined for Hezbollah, accusing Israel of looking for an excuse to hammer the 'Axis of Resistance.'
With air strike on Gaza, Israel tells Hamas 'get it together'

Israel's deadly strike today was a warning to Hamas to rein in more extreme militants, like the Salafist group that is firing rockets into Israel. Hamas is already on it.
Kerry makes headway with Middle East peace, but violence flares

Secretary of State John Kerry got an important boost yesterday when the Arab League agreed to soften the terms of their Middle East peace proposal.
First West Bank marathon highlights barriers to Palestinian movement

Marathoners observed a moment of silence for the victims in the Boston attacks before running a landscape scarred by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In Middle East Kerry pushes for Turkey-Israel rapprochement

Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Middle East exploring options for renewed peace efforts. On Sunday, he urged Turkey and Israel to normalize relations, which broke down after Turks were killed in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010.
Olive Press Former Palestinian prisoners once jailed for murder, now dole out dessert

The two men behind one of Gaza's most famous kenafeh shops spent more than decade in Israeli prison for conspiracy to murder and planting bombs.
Briefing Palestinian Prisoners' Day: Breaking down the controversy

This year's commemoration is particularly noteworthy because of two recent high-profile deaths in prison that drew tremendous outcry from Palestinians. The Monitor explains.
Terrorism & Security Rockets fired from Egypt slam into Israeli resort town

An Islamist militant group claimed responsibility, citing retaliation for the Israeli attack on Palestinians protesting the death of an inmate in an Israeli prison.
Olive Press Hebrew lives on in Hamas-run Gaza

Palestinian Daniel Fares, fluent in Hebrew from his days working in an Israeli Coca-Cola factory, still tunes in to Israeli news stations daily.
US loses a West Bank darling with resignation of Palestinian prime minister

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who resigned this weekend, was liked by the US, but he had less approval at home, where many saw him as a lackey of the West.
Why Kerry could succeed at securing Israeli-Palestinian peace

Despite deep-seated cynicism about prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace, Secretary of State John Kerry has kicked off his term with the biggest American push for an agreement since 2000.
Olive Press In Gaza, a dream of sailboats meets land's limited horizons

Mahfouz Kabariti spent years trying to round up a fleet of sailboats for Gaza's children as a distraction from their violent life. The boats arrived, but remain beached in his yard.
Iran's 'axis of resistance' loses its Palestinian arm to Syrian war

Sunni Hamas has broken its longtime ties with the Assad regime to fight alongside the predominantly Sunni Syrian opposition.
Cyber attack on Israel falls short of promised havoc

Hackers vowed that yesterday's attack would be 'the largest Internet battle in the history of mankind,' waged in defense of freedom, not a particular political preference.
Palestinian prisoner deaths cause a spark, but unlikely to start a blaze

Israel and Gaza both have an interest in keeping the calm that has prevailed since a November cease-fire.
Terrorism & Security Palestinian prisoners go on hunger strike en masse to protest inmate's death

The hunger strikers charge Israel with failing to provide adequate care for the man, who was diagnosed with cancer. Israel's Prison Service says it took him to a hospital and was arranging an early release.
Palestinian anger builds as another prisoner dies on Israel's watch

The death today of a Palestinian in Israeli custody sparked protests, rockets, and prisoner riots only weeks after a similar situation prompted murmurs about a third intifada.
Israel apologizes to Turkey for 2010 flotilla deaths

With an assist from President Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday to take responsibility for the deadly Israel naval attack three years ago on a group of ships headed for the Gaza Strip.
The latest hot language among Palestinians in Gaza? Hebrew

Students are flocking to a fledgling Hebrew program sponsored by Gaza's Hamas-run government, encouraged by their parents who learned Hebrew through years of working in Israel.
Backchannels Is a third Palestinian intifada coming?

Someday, something is going to have to give in the cold peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. But that's been true for years.