Gaza's 1.3 million inhabitants now face the threat of "an open and long war", reports Khaled Amayreh

Israel has several objectives in Gaza -- all mutually exclusive, writes Graham Usher

Twenty four independent newspapers will halt publication next week to protest a draft bill that further restricts press freedom. But this unprecedented move is unlikely to influence the government, writes Amira Howeidy

Pope Shenouda's recent journey abroad for medical treatment has focussed attention on his likely successors, writes Sameh Fawzi

By announcing that he is now Archbishop Maximus of the True Orthodox Christians, a onetime deacon from Shubra has set yet another cat among the pigeons, reports Nader Habib

The latest report into the sinking of Al-Salam 98 confirms gross negligence on the part of the ferry's owners, writes Mohamed El-Sayed

Lumpy skin disease is the latest disaster to be inflicted upon Egypt's hard pressed farmers, reports Reem Leila

As Israel commits war crimes in Gaza, many Palestinians are wondering if they wouldn't be better off free of the Palestinian Authority Israel seemingly aims to break, writes Khaled Amayreh in the West Bank

On a tour of the neighbourhood around the old American Embassy in the Iranian capital, Mustafa El-Labbad reveals the complexity and importance of the relationship between Tehran and Washington

At a time when the Iraqi premiere's national reconciliation plan faces a hard test on the ground, Nuri Al-Maliki is intent on seeking Arab support for it

To recognise the Iraqi resistance as legal would undermine the entire misadventure of US military action in Iraq, thus the basis of reconciliation is absent, writes Firas Al-Atraqchi

The US-Oman free trade deal sets the trend for future American-Middle Eastern relations, reports Emad Mekay from Washington

Egypt's third mobile licence went to Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates, for a whopping LE16.7 billion, reports Niveen Wahish

As the International Committee of the Red Cross adopts Israel's "red crystal" emblem, Dina Ezzat in Geneva monitors the erosion of European support for the Palestinian cause

In contrast to the MP who last week accused the film The Yacoubian Building of sullying Egypt's reputation, Raouf Moussad finds in the novel on which the film is based a depiction of minorities so tendentious as to smooth the feathers of even the most conservative ideologue

On the Greenpeace Ship in Hurghada, Sara Abu Bakr finds out that hope really does float