Topic: West Bank

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Opinion Hamas is no winner in the Gaza ceasefire with Israel (+video)

Hamas has claimed total victory in the ceasefire with Israel. Sure, Hamas evaded a punishing Israeli ground assault in Gaza and gained some diplomatic support and recognition. But in the long run, Hamas is sowing the seeds for its own destruction.
Terrorism & Security Arafat's exhumation could bring answers – or just more questions (+video)

Whether reopening the case of Yasser Arafat's death will take Palestinians forward or backwards is being debated as forensic experts begin analyzing samples for radioactive poisoning.
Why is Ehud Barak leaving Israeli politics? (+video)

Ehud Barak, Israel's defense minister, shocked many with his announcement Monday that he's leaving politics. Barak was seen as a moderating influence in Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Gaza truce holds as region steps back from brink

The Egyptian-mediated cease-fire is still in effect; Hamas calls the truce a victory, while reaction in Israel is mixed.
Bus bombing in Tel Aviv deflates Israeli interest in cease-fire with Gaza (+video)

International mediators, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are working intensively to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza, but today's bombing has dimmed Israelis' interest in negotiations.
As Gaza offensive intensifies, Israel enjoys unusual international support

European governments as well as the US are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel over the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip – drawing the ire of the Muslim world.
Opinion How to make a Hamas, Israel ceasefire in Gaza stick

Contrary to Hamas reports, Israel claims there is no ceasefire deal for the Gaza conflict. But US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is en route to Jerusalem, and an agreement appears to be in the making. Making it stick will require regional commitment.
West Bank Palestinians cheer on their Gaza counterparts

Palestinians in the West Bank have staged solidarity marches, praising Gaza's rocket strikes on Israel and calling for an end to the diplomacy track with Israel – an indirect blow to President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israelis ponder alternatives to 'mowing the lawn' in Gaza (+video)

Israel has yet to articulate a long-term strategy for Gaza, but there is a growing consensus that a military operation every few years is not the answer.
Obama sends Clinton to Mideast, amid conflict between Israel and Hamas (+video)

President Obama sends Hillary Clinton to Mideast, as US seeks to contain conflict between Israel and Hamas, hoping the visit 'will emphasize the United States' interest in a peaceful outcome that protects and enhances Israel's security and regional stability; that can lead to improved conditions for the civilian residents of Gaza.'
Opinion Israel should rethink its strategy against Hamas in Gaza

Israel has dealt with Hamas through a policy of isolation and military containment. The recent escalation of violence in Gaza calls for a reconsideration of this strategy. Israel’s military response only offers a temporary palliative against a broader, inherently political problem.
On the Gaza-Israel border, Israeli reservists weigh a ground assault

As trucks hauled armored vehicles in southern Israel, thousands of reservists headed to training bases, resigned to a ground assault: If the rocket fire doesn't end, said one, 'we'll have no choice.'
As sirens blare, Israel seeks to punish Hamas without occupying Gaza (+video)

The Israel-Hamas war that began Wednesday was on the brink of a major escalation, with Palestinian rockets nearing Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Can Israel achieve its objectives?
Backchannels For both Hamas and Israel, there are reasons to escalate (+video)

For Hamas, a fear that capitulation will hurt their standing more than defiance. For Israel, it's a question of making good on public threats.
Opinion In shifting sands of Middle East, who will lead? (+ video)

Leadership in the Middle East is up for grabs as the Syrian war intensifies, the Arab Spring changes regional power dynamics, and Israel's airstrikes and Hamas rockets again roil Gaza. Last year, Turkey was the assumed role model for the region. But it has fallen down on the job.
Backchannels For Israel, costs and benefits of striking Gaza

Israel assassinated a senior Hamas militant, Ahmed Jabari, today. How much further will the Gaza strikes go?
Focus How water could bring Israelis, Palestinians together

A sole joint committee between Israelis and Palestinians survives 17 years after the Oslo Accords: the one on water.
Palestinian Authority unable to pay salaries, even as it pursues statehood

The Palestinian drive for non-member state status at the UN could trigger Israeli economic retaliation that would end the viability of the Palestinian Authority.
Why the Palestinian president shocked his people over 'right of return'

President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to give up on a longtime Palestinian demand that refugees be allowed back into homes from before the 1948 founding of the Jewish state.
US-Israel relations won't be shaken no matter who wins Tuesday

US-Israel ties are arguably stronger and deeper now than at any time since Israel’s founding in 1948. The relationship tends to rest on shared principles rather than the personalities at the top.
Change Agent Incubating women's businesses in the Palestinian territories

Tomorrow’s Youth Organization based in Nablus, on the West Bank, helps promising new women's businesses survive.
Israel's Netanyahu banks on tough guy image to win early elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning in early elections, announced today for January, as the candidate with a proven record of keeping Israelis safe in turbulent times.
Salafis' rise in Gaza robs Hamas of resistance banner

Salafi militants have been firing rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli retaliation as Hamas seeks calm so that it can focus on the economy.
Opinion Obama must stand up to Netanyahu on Israeli settler violence

The US State Department recent called Israeli settler violence against Palestinians 'terrorist incidents.' Though a step in the right direction, the label fails to highlight the Israeli government's responsibility for these human rights violations. Washington must take a bold stand.
Israel downs drone over its airspace, suspects Hezbollah

Israel brought down a drone that crossed into its airspace today, the first such incident in six years. Officials say it may have been a surveillance drone launched by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.