Knowing that the government in Gaza is sworn to Israel's destruction, Jerusalem has decided that recent calm justifies an increase in humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians there. Before the war with Hamas in 2014, about 300 truckloads of materiel went into Gaza every day. Today some 1,000 truckloads make their way to Palestinians there.
Last night Damascus was hit by two explosions. One, a suicide bombing at an officers' club, killed at least ten. The other happened at the Mezzeh airport. Damascus blames Israel. But, for disturbing reasons revealed by this Israeli intelligence report from DEBKAfile, Israel is an unlikely candidate. Who then? And why?
This is a word-for-word reproduction of a leaked preliminary draft of the resolution the Paris Middle East Peace Conference aims to pass.
History is repeating itself. Similarities between Munich in 1938 and Paris in 2017 are uncanny. Today, as yesterday, the result of a peace conference could easily lead to another world war, this time in the Middle East. And this time centered around Israel.
What can Israel expect from the Paris conference of seventy nations that starts on Sunday? According to Anne Bayefsky, it should expect further diplomatic attacks under the guiding hand of President Barack Obama who "has gone rogue."
What are Russia's true intentions in Syria? Maintain the status quo, playing off its tensions? Or complete regime victory for Assad? If the latter, writes Jonathan Spyer, "there is trouble ahead."
Not only to Israel's north and east, but also to its south, ISIS is anything but defeated. In fact, in the Sinai Peninsula, it is taking over large swaths of territory - just across Israel's border. It is also winning converts inside Israel. The entrenchment and advances of Islamic State have a direct bearing on yesterday's vehicular terror attack in Jerusalem.
One father said, "We send them to the army and we know that maybe they won't come back. Did I ever think it would happen to me? Never."
It happened without warning and it only took seconds. ...As he plows his heavy lorry into the cluster of soldiers, Fadi crushes four young women and two young men. Others, glancing off the truck's side are wounded, but not mortally. Stunned, those who can hurry to the side of fallen friends. As they do so, Fadi brakes his lorry, turns it around, aiming for the bodies he has just mowed down...
Why is there such heated difference between America's intelligence community and President-elect Trump - about Russia? According to an Israeli intelligence news service, the brouhaha is being orchestrated by President Obama who plans to actively oppose Trump after he takes office on 20 January. The implications for fighting terror in the Middle East, and their attending risks for igniting a world war, are profound.
