Historic party figures are speaking out against resuming, on Washington's bidding, unconditional and open talks with Israel, writes Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah

While some extra goods are now available to people in Gaza, few have the money to buy them, writes Saleh Al-Naami

After insisting that Israel has nothing to hide from the UN secretary-general's panel of inquiry into its 31 May bloody attack on a Turkish ship carrying pro-Palestinian peace activists, Israel is now trying to arm-twist the international body in the hope of eviscerating the investigation of substance, reports Khaled Amayreh

The fate of the UN Hariri Tribunal hangs in the balance after Hizbullah reveals evidence that implicates Israel, Omayma Abdel-Latif reports

Lebanon's Israeli spy scandal took another turn this week with the charging of a prominent figure in a party allied to Hizbullah. Lucy Fielder reports from Beirut

Is the ban on the wearing of the face veil in Syrian schools and universities motivated by support for secularism or by fear of the influence of Islamist trends, asks Bassel Oudat in Damascus

Efforts to end the impasse over the formation of a new government in Iraq are nowhere near a breakthrough, writes Salah Hemeid

The first meeting of Yemen's national dialogue took place last weekend, with as yet uncertain aims and schedule, writes Nasser Arrabyee

The deadlock over the appointment of the top commanders demonstrates the continuing shift from military to civilian, but reinforces concerns about the AKP's commitment to the rule of law, says Gareth Jenkins in Istanbul