A unity agreement between the two major Palestinian political parties, Fatah and Hamas, has been greeted with scepticism from Palestinian youth activists, writes Nigel O’Connor, a freelance journalist in Ramallah.
Hamas
Israeli soldier’s release a win-win
As Israel celebrates, and the world welcomes, the release of soldier Gilad Shalit, Hamas, the Islamist party controlling the Gaza Strip, has emerged with a significant victory in its push for Palestinian political supremacy, writes freelancer Nigel O’Connor.
Richardson: where to now for mid-East peace?
The fact that some members of the aid convoy had been filmed singing pro-Hamas songs is being treated in all seriousness as a justification for killing them.
Chomsky: Why the US won’t allow peace in the Middle East
Israel and Palestine could reach a settlement, but the United States is unwilling to agree to it. It is the US who are continuing to fuel the Gaza war, writes Noam Chomsky.
Defeat terrorism with good old fashioned family values
Young men with strong social and family supports are far more likely to drop-out of terrorist organisations, says Michael Jacobson… before less-helpfully suggesting Israel should therefore recruit terrorists from good homes as spies.
“My father founded Hamas; now I work for Israel”
A fascinating interview with Mosab Yousef, the Christian, former Israeli spy son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, who has just released a tell-all book about growing up in the world of Islamic extremism.
How Dubai cracked the Mossad assasination case
A fascinating look at how Dubai police used “a mixture of high-tech razzle-dazzle and old-fashioned investigative work” to identify the spies behind the now infamous assassination of a Hamas commander.
New tensions for Australia and Israel
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Australia are under new pressure, with news that three Australian passports were used in the Mossad assassination of a Hamas official. What now for Australia and Israel?
Meet a Mossad hit squad
Like something out of Le Carre: Dubai has released the details of an alleged 11-person Mossad-controlled hit squad it believes is responsible for the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
GFM claims success in flying the flag for Gaza
1400 people from 43 countries descended on Cairo on December 27 and aimed to travel into Gaza to “break the siege”. Antony Loewenstein was there.
What really happened during the Gaza War 
UN: Israel and Hamas guilty of war crimes
A UN fact-finding mission has accused both Israel and Palestine of committing war crimes in Gaza, with the former shelling civilian hospitals with white phosphorus and the latter wreaking terror with rockets.
Fatah conference a failed opportunity for peace
Despite the best intentions at the Fatah convention in Bethlehem, negotiations and peaceful coexistence between Fatah and Hamas seems unlikely, writes The Jerusalem Post.
Letter from...: More reflections from Gaza: Keep off the grass
The American International School in Gaza was bombed on 3 January, completely destroying the institution . Today it is a twisted wreck of concrete, metal and burnt vans.
To embrace Palestine, embrace Sharia Law
Israel and the US can peacefully coexist with Palestine, say Osama Abu-Irshaid and Paul Scham, but to do so, they must understand Sharia Law, which is at the heart of Hamas’ every move.
Obama’s problem with Jimmy Carter
Former US President Jimmy Carter is planning to urge Obama to take Hamas off the US terrorist list. The administration is “very pissed with him”, says one Washington Middle East hand.
Only Benjamin Netanyahu can go to Palestine
Israeli PM Netanyahu agreed to talk, but he gave no hint of the shape of a political settlement he might be willing to accept. Still he’s the best hope for peace.
Censoring the bombing in Gaza: Some demands
The unilateral nature of the Israeli temporary truce must be a concern, writes Robert Johnson in Jerusalem.
The Gaza Strip: A Crikey wrap
What the world has to say about the ceasefire on the Gaza Strip.
The Aussies spinning the Gaza conflict
Three young Australians go to the Middle East and become spokespeople for Israel’s conlict in Gaza. They are articulate and their English is word perfect. What if they spoke on behalf of Hamas? writes Greg Barns.
We cannot dismiss the threat that Hamas poses
The Israeli public’s support for the military operation is a bellwether of the seriousness with which Israelis take the thousands of rockets and mortars that have been fired by Hamas for years, writes Allon Lee.
The Gaza Strip: A Crikey wrap
Has Israel lost the PR war?
Crikey Clarifier: What started the latest Gaza conflict?
What started the latest conflict the Gaza Strip? Crikey has the answers.
