Conflicting reports regarding plans by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit the Gaza Strip are heightening uncertainty regarding the intentions of the Islamist premier. Turkish television announced overnight that Erdogan would travel to Gaza on July 5, a report that Erdogan’s press secretary promptly shot down. Erdogan has...

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Gulf states are calling attention to the critical roles being played by Iran and its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah in propping up the embattled Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal accusing the Shiite-backed regime of conducting a “genocide” against largely Sunni rebel forces. Speaking...

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Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has again clarified that – contrary to analysis in some corners of the foreign policy community, and despite expressions of optimism by some Western diplomats – his organization will not recognize Israel: Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday that Palestinians would not recognize Israel,...

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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has resumed threatening that he is about to undertake a trip to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. A surprise trip: Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that a wave of demonstrations at home have delayed preparations for his planned visit to Gaza, but that he nonetheless...

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Palestinian terrorists launched rockets at Israel on Sunday, marking a violation of the mostly stable ceasefire that has taken hold since Israel completed its Operation Pillar of Defense last November, which saw Jerusalem substantially degrade the advanced weaponry and military leadership of the Palestinian Hamas faction. The rocket launched was...

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This weekend’s Palestinian rocket fire into Israel, after which Israel responded with airstrikes, can be traced to the war raging in Syria and, by extension, to Iran. The attack broke forty days of relative quiet. While Palestinians in Gaza have fired several rockets against Israel since Israel’s Operation Pillar of...

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Turkish security forces have widened a broad arrest sweep targeting anti-government protesters. Hundreds of people are continuing to gather in silent vigils across the country. The ongoing demonstrations have eroded Ankara’s legitimacy domestically and abroad. The European Union issued a declaration expressing concern over the government’s heavy-handed response. Erdogan reacted to the...

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Ongoing tensions between Hamas and Egypt – which have seen the popularity of the Iran-backed terror group plummet amid a media blitz conducted by Egyptian security officials – deepened on Monday after a high-ranking Hamas delegation was besieged by protesters outside their Cairo hotel. Arabic media outlets are now suggesting...

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A G8 meeting today between President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Syrian conflict ended without apparent progress. Reuters conveys the mood awkward: Both leaders looked tense and uncomfortable as they addressed reporters after about two hours of talks, with Putin staring mostly at the floor as he...

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Egyptian security forces are preparing for anti-Hamas demonstrations. Popular suspicion that the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group may try to bolster the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood against large-scale anti-government protests planned for June 30 has been deepening. Arab-language media is reporting that police authorities are preparing for the backlash. Theories under which Hamas provided...

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