Palestinian Territories

Zineb Belmkaddem examines how the Moroccan authorities are clamping down on opposition movements. Dina El Khawaga argues that the Egyptian government is reproducing the authoritarian measures of the 1990s to consolidate its power. Henriette Chacar evaluates the Palestinian media’s response to the recent violence in Jerusalem.

Significant Developments Jordan-Israel-Palestine. The Jordanian Minister of Islamic Affairs, Hayel Dawood, accused Israel yesterday of attacking the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and of causing fire damage “tantamount to state terrorism” and “a violation of Jordan’s peace treaty.” Israeli special forces had stormed the mosque compound firing tear gas, and sparking fires that damaged the building. The accusations follow an earlier decision by Jordan to withdraw its ambassador to Israel for “consultations.”  The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riad Mansur, called on the UN Security Council to hold Israel accountable for damage to the Al Aqsa mosque. Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise in Jerusalem and surrounding areas; one police officer was killed and three soldiers and a dozen civilians injured in two separate attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank involving Palestinians deliberately driving vehicles into crowds. For more on these rising tensions, you can read my interview with CFR.org here. Syria. U.S.-led coalition air strikes targeted Jabhat al-Nusra last night in Syria. The move comes after the al-Qaeda affiliate pushed U.S.-backed moderate opposition groups, the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the Hazm movement, out of Idlib province on Sunday. The groups have received backing from the United States and Western allies, raising suspicions that artillery and heavy weaponry provided by the West may have fallen in the hands of Nusra fighters. Al-Nusra has made a concerted effort to conquer most of Idlib in the past week. Its recent victories will render more difficult U.S.-led efforts to arm and train rebels in Syria. Meanwhile, Hasan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, and Abu Mohammad Al-Joulani, leader of the Nusra Front, exchanged harsh words this week. In a speech in south Beirut on Monday, Nasrallah said that he was proud the “Tafkiris have not yet been able to control Syria.” Joulani responded on Tuesday threatening Nasrallah with “hidden surprises” and tweeted “Hasan Nasrallah will bite his fingers in regret.” ISIS. President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he would seek Congressional authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) for U.S.-led military operation against ISIS. The move marks a dramatic shift from the president’s previous reliance on the 2001 AUMF to combat al-Qaeda as sufficient to justify current military strikes. Meanwhile, Iraqi peshmerga fighters reported on Tuesday that they were heavily shelling ISIS militant strongholds in Kobani. Also on Tuesday, ISIS released ninety-three Kurds captured in February in Northern Syria for allegedly being members of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party. This release comes after ISIS militants killed at least two hundred members of the Abu Nimr tribe for agreeing to take up arms. U.S. Foreign Policy Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported this afternoon that President Obama sent a letter last month to Iran’s supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Obama reportedly urged the Iranians to cooperate on both combatting ISIS and on coming to a nuclear deal. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Paris on Wednesday that Iran “ha[s] a right to a peaceful [nuclear] program, but not a track to a bomb.” Meanwhile, the New York Times reported on Monday that American negotiator’s have hinted at a potential Iran-Russia side agreement as a possible solution to the currently deadlocked negotiations. The purported arrangement, which Iran has reportedly tentatively agreed to, would transport most of Iran’s stockpile of uranium to Russia, which would convert the uranium into fuel rods for Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant. In theory, keeping the uranium in the form of these rods would make it difficult for Iran to use the uranium to create a nuclear weapon. According to one American official involved in the negotiations, “if the Iran-Russia deal works, it could be the cornerstone of something much larger.” However, neither the existence of the deal nor Iran’s acceptance has been confirmed by either side. Syria. The U.S. State Department reportedly intends to cut next year’s funding of $500,000 for the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA). The CIJA was formed by international war crime prosecutors to send lawyers and researchers on missions to Syria to collect evidence of the use of chemical weapons and other illegal military tactics used by Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Human rights advocates fear that the decision by the Obama administration marks a shift in funding priorities in the wake of ISIS’ rise. Jerusalem. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over the status of Jerusalem on Monday in a case about listing birthplaces in U.S. passports. The United States does not officially recognize any country as having sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem; however, the Congress enacted a law in 2002 that ordered the State Department to list Israel on passports of children born in Jerusalem. The Supreme Court has been tasked with determining whether the power to recognize Jerusalem as Israel is under the purview of Congress or that of the Executive branch. Justice Elena Kagan alluded to the diplomatic relevance and timing of this case in light of the volatile situation in Jerusalem in recent weeks, noting that “passports are diplomatic communications,” and “history suggests that everything is a big deal with respect to the status of Jerusalem. And right now Jerusalem is a tinderbox.” While We Were Looking Elsewhere Saudi Arabia. Security forces in Saudi Arabia arrested fifteen suspects in Riyadh and other eastern cities yesterday for their alleged participation in Monday’s violent attack that left at least five Shiites dead during a religious ceremony to celebrate the start of Ashura. Saudi Arabia blamed the attack on militants affiliated with al-Qaeda yesterday, while the country’s Council of Senior Scholars called the incident a “vicious assault and heinous crime.” Meanwhile, private sector growth has slowed considerably in Saudi Arabia as part of a trend observed since September. The Financial Times reported Tuesday that the lag is due in part to labor markets increasing wage costs, but most importantly due to lower oil prices. Saudi Arabia cut crude oil prices for U.S. consumers on Tuesday. Lebanon. Saudi Arabia and France signed an agreement on Tuesday confirming Saudi Arabia’s donation of $3 billion worth of French manufactured weapons to the Lebanese army. The deal was initially offered by Saudi Arabia to Lebanon in December 2013. Meanwhile, Iran pledged a competing package to provide military aid and equipment in September, but the plan has not yet been implemented. The Lebanese Parliament voted yesterday to extend its term by two years and seven months amidst wide scale protests in Beirut to oppose the move. Prime Minister Tammam Salam justified the extension as “preventing the country from plunging into a power vacuum.” Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai criticized the vote yesterday, calling it “illegal and unconstitutional.” UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly stated today that he recognized the necessity of the extended Parliamentary mandate to avoid a “serious vacuum” but expressed disappointment in Lebanon’s inability to successfully organize elections at present, despite the country’s “strong democratic tradition.” Yemen. Members of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s political party claimed the United States ambassador to Yemen had ordered Saleh to leave Yemen by Friday or face sanctions. The sanctions, issued by the UN Security Council, would include an asset freeze and a global travel ban. The sanctions would be imposed on Saleh and two Houthi rebel leaders who have been targeted for “threatening the peace and stability of Yemen and obstructing the political process.” These accusations were immediately refuted by Edgar Vasquez, spokesperson for the State Department, who called the claims “completely false.” However, the United States did not deny supporting the UN Security Council sanctions. Meanwhile, a U.S. drone strike on Tuesday night killed Shawki al-Badani, a senior leader of local al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar al-Sharia, along with five other al-Qaeda members. Egypt. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced yesterday he would appoint Fayza Abul Naga as a national security advisor. Abul Naga led the controversial 2012 criminal case against U.S. nonprofit groups that led to one of the worst recent crises in U.S.-Egyptian relations. Meanwhile, over three hundred and fifty Egyptian journalists signed an online petition on Sunday in a rare protest of a decision by newspaper editors last week to avoid publishing reports critical of the government or state policies. Shawqi Allam, a Muslim cleric appointed by the Egyptian government, defended on Monday the decision by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to evacuate residents from the Sinai Peninsula in order to counter the militant attacks. The cleric’s ruling is seen as an attempt by Sisi’s government to gain legitimacy for its decision. President Sisi has agreed to provide financial compensation, up to a total of $140 million, to victims of forced evacuations. Qatar-UK. Qatar and the United Kingdom signed a security cooperation agreement to combat jihadis on Monday, following eight months of negotiations. The deal provides for the two countries to share classified information and to cooperate on areas such as digital defense, cybersecurity, and counter-terrorism. The costs of the arrangement will be paid in full by Qatar. A spokesperson for the UK Home Office confirmed the UK is pleased with the new partnership, and said the agreement would “broaden and deepen the important security relationships between our respective countries.” Libya. Libya’s Supreme Court invalidated the internationally recognized parliament led by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni today. The ruling cannot be appealed. The Supreme Court also nullified a constitutional amendment that led to the elections on June 25, thereby rendering the results of the elections and decisions arising from them invalid. The legislature’s legal committee has since scheduled an emergency meeting to review the court ruling. The court’s decision follows clashes between Islamist militants and pro-government fighters in Benghazi that have killed over thirty people in the last three days. Gaza. Twenty thousand civil servants went on strike in Gaza on Tuesday to demonstrate against the decision by the Palestinian unity government to withhold pay from military and security workers affiliated with Hamas. Qatar had pledged to donate $30 million last week to pay for the workers’ salaries, and twenty-four thousand workers have already been paid through the fund. Meanwhile, Amnesty International published a report yesterday, accusing Israel of committing war crimes during the latest Gaza conflict over the summer. Amnesty accused Israel of “callous indifference” to civilians during airstrikes that were “grossly disproportionate.” Amnesty also accused “Palestinian armed groups” of violating international law by indiscriminately firing rockets into Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry, in turn, accused Amnesty International of displaying “extreme bias” and of “dismiss[ing] Israeli security challenges.”

Significant Developments ISIS-Turkey. Turkey announced on Monday that it would allow Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces to cross its border to come to Kobani’s defense, five weeks after the start of ISIS’s assault on the town. U.S. military planes airdropped ammunition, small arms, and medical supplies over Kobani on Sunday to resupply depleted Kurdish fighters. However, the Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that ISIS had posted a video online in which it claimed to have intercepted some of the munitions dropped by the United States. Iran. The New York Times reported on Sunday that the Obama administration would not seek Congressional approval if a deal is struck with Iran over its nuclear program. Any such deal would most certainly include the lifting of sanctions imposed by the United States. While only Congress can permanently lift the sanctions, the president is likely to choose not to “seek congressional legislation in any comprehensive agreement for years,” according to a senior official. The suspension of the current economic sanctions against Iran would only be authorized once the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) determines that Iran has complied with the conditions imposed by the United States and other Western powers. However, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano announced on Monday that Iran had not yet complied with an agreement to disclose information about its nuclear activity approximately two months after the August 25 deadline to do so. U.S. Foreign Policy Syria. New evidence has emerged that the Assad regime is using chlorine on civilians in northern Syria, less than a month after the joint OPCW-UN mission announced that it had completed removing Syria’s chemical weapon stockpile. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation, Simon Limage, said on Monday that “It is virtually impossible to account for, eliminate and ban its [chlorine] use, because it has so many legitimate commercial uses.” Iraq. Four former Blackwater security guards were convicted yesterday in a U.S. federal court for their roles in killing seventeen Iraqi civilians during the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Iraq. The jury convicted them on charges of murder, manslaughter, and possession of weapons. Saudi Arabia. The Periodic Review Board approved Muhammed Murdi Issa al Zahrani, the Saudi detainee and al-Qaeda affiliate, for release from Guantanamo Bay on Monday. The Board, which was established in March 2011 by President Barack Obama’s executive order, also determined that al Zahrani could be repatriated provided that security concerns in the host country were addressed. While We Were Looking Elsewhere Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi traveled to Iran on Tuesday for his first foreign visit since being appointed in September. Al-Abadi announced that “choosing Iran as [his] first destination after taking office indicates the depth of ties.” Meanwhile, the Iraqi Parliament filled the important Interior and Defense minister posts. Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban, a member of the Badr Organization, a Shiite political group and militia, was appointed interior minister. Badr officials had threatened to withdraw from government if one of their members was not nominated for the post. The defense minister is Khalid al-Obeidi, a Sunni engineer for the Iraqi air force. Libya. Libya’s internationally recognized government, led by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni, announced on Tuesday that its troops are prepared to recapture the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Renewed clashes between pro-government militias led by General Haftar and rival armed groups in the past five days have resulted in seventy-five casualties. Meanwhile, Ahmed Abu Khattala, the man charged with orchestrating last year’s attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed four U.S. officials, including the late Ambassador Chris Stevens, pleaded not guilty on Monday. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper has ordered Khattala to be held without bond until his next hearing on December 9. Khattala was captured by U.S. Special Forces in Libya in June. Lebanon. UNHCR country representative Ninette Kelley told the Daily Star that Lebanon’s borders would remain open to Syrian refugees, although in reduced numbers. Her remarks came in response to comments by Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas on Monday that implied Lebanon would not accept any more refugees. Syria. The European Union officially named sixteen individuals and two companies to be targeted in sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The companies include Pangates International Corporation Ltd, based in the United Arab Emirates, which acts as an intermediary in the supply of oil to the regime, and its Syrian parent company, Abdulkarim Group. The individuals targeted were twelve ministers from Assad’s new government who were appointed in late August, two energy company executives, and two military officers responsible for “violent repression against civilian population in Syria.” Israel-Palestine. A three-month old baby was killed and several other civilians were injured yesterday evening after a Palestinian man ran over passengers disembarking from a light rail train in Jerusalem. The suspect, Abdel Rahman Al-Shaludi, is a resident of the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem and is reportedly affiliated with Hamas. Israeli police have confirmed he was shot while trying to run away from the scene and later died in the hospital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered extra police patrols in Jerusalem and declared that he is holding PA President Mahmoud Abbas accountable for the attack. On Monday, Palestinians attacked a building with Molotov cocktails and petrol bombs in protest against Israelis moving into Silwan. The housing purchases were facilitated by Ateret Cohanim, an NGO working to settle Jewish Israelis into Arab area of Jerusalem. Yemen. According to Al Jazeera, a UN panel of experts is preparing to impose sanctions on five prominent political figures accused of undermining Yemen’s democratic transition. This is the first time specific individuals have been targeted since the UN Security Council authorized sanctions against anyone attempting to “obstruct Yemen’s political transition or commit human rights violations” in February. The accused include Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former Yemeni president, and his son, Ahmed Ali, who is currently the Yemeni ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. The United Nations also plans to sanction three leading members of the Houthi rebel group: Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader, Abdulkhaleq al-Houthi, and military chief Abu Ali al-Hakem. Saudi Arabia. Thirteen people were sentenced to prison by a Saudi court on Tuesday for plotting an Al-Qaeda attack against U.S. forces stationed in Qatar and Kuwait. The accused were convicted of planning to target the forces with hand grenades and rockets. Their sentences ranged from eighteen months to thirty years. Meanwhile, a special Saudi court sentenced two people to death for their role in the Shiite protests that began three years ago. A third defendant was imprisoned for twelve years. The sentences are meant to have a “deterrent” effect, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Significant Developments ISIS. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey told CNN yesterday that the United States has a “winning strategy” to defeat ISIS. Dempsey’s comments came one day after President Barack Obama told reporters that the campaign will see “days of progress” and “periods of setback.” Obama’s remarks followed a meeting with the military chiefs of twenty-one coalition countries at Andrews Air Force Base on Tuesday. The focus of the meeting was to discuss strategic issues and resolve disagreements about the current campaign in Iraq and Syria. ISIS has been pressing forward in Kobani and has made large strides in Iraq, capturing the third army base in three weeks, detonating cars bombs in Baghdad that killed almost 50 people, and preparing to attack Amariyat al-Falluja, a strategic town near Baghdad. Iran. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, said today that progress had been made following “very difficult” talks over the last two days with senior officials from the P5+1 countries. Secretary of State John Kerry spent six hours of talks in Vienna yesterday with Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Zarif said that none of the negotiators think an extension of the talks past the November 24 deadline is “appropriate,” while Reuters quoted a U.S. official as saying, “You never say never, but today we are focused on November 24, and November 24 only.” Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that remarks accusing the Islamic Republic of being “part of the problem” in the Middle East may harm relations between the two countries. On Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said, “In many conflicts, Iran is part of the problem…we can say that Iranian forces in Syria are occupying forces.” Gaza. International donors pledged $5.4 billion in aid on Sunday for Gaza at a conference in Cairo co-chaired by Egypt and Norway. Only half of the pledged funds are to be used to rebuild Gaza, while the remainder is slated to support the Palestinian Authority’s budget until 2017. The biggest single donor at the conference was Qatar, which pledged $1 billion, while the United States pledged over $200 million. Many attendees expressed fears of another round of violence between Hamas and Israel and the concomitant destruction it would cause. Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Gaza on Tuesday, including the destroyed Shejaiya neighborhood and the Jabaliya refugee camp. In Gaza, the UN chief proclaimed: “there can be no peace in the Middle East, no security for Israel while the crisis in Gaza festers.” Also on Tuesday, Israel allowed the first shipment of construction materials into Gaza, described as a “pilot” by the Israeli defense ministry. The initial shipment included 600 tons of cement, 50 trucks of aggregates and 10 trucks of metal. U.S. Foreign Policy Turkey. A Turkish official denied on Monday that it had agreed to allow the United States to use its airbases, one day after National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s claimed that Turkey had made a “new commitment.” However, Turkey has confirmed an agreement to train at least 2,000 Syrian moderate opposition fighters, provided that the United States equips them. A team from the Defense Department is schedule to arrive in Turkey this week to continue negotiations. (For more on Turkey see below.) ISIS. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News most recent poll indicates that American popular support for deploying U.S. ground troops to fight ISIS has increased from 34 percent to 41 percent in the past month. Fifty-five percent of respondents said that they disapprove of how President Barack Obama has handled the situation. While We Were Looking Elsewhere Yemen.A new Yemeni Prime Minister was successfully appointed on Monday after the previous candidate was rejected by Houthi rebels. Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, previously the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, was accepted by the rebel group. Just hours after the appointment, Houthi fighters captured the strategic Red Sea city of Hudeida, taking control of its port and airport. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda militants took control of the town of Udani, in southwest Yemen, in retaliation to Houthis taking control of the nearby town of Ibb after the day before. Egypt-Libya. Egyptian warplanes bombed Islamist militia positions in Benghazi yesterday. The airstrikes mark the beginning of a three to six month campaign led by Egypt, acting on the request of the internationally recognized Libyan government exiled in Tobruk. The aim of the military movements is to “restore state institutions and combat terrorism,” according to Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni. Egypt. Egyptian police raided the University of Alexandria on Tuesday, arresting thirty students and injuring at least four. It was the latest in a string of violent crackdowns on university campuses throughout Egypt since last Friday. The students have been demonstrating against the decision by an Egyptian court to overrule an exception to the rule that government authorities may crack down on unauthorized protests. Under the previous ruling, protests organized within university grounds are exempt from the law. Since the court’s decision, which coincided with the start of the school year, the authorities have made pre-emptive arrests and private contractors have been hired by the government to search students on campus. Turkey-Kurds. The Turkish military bombed Kurdish PKK positions in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday, in response to alleged attacks by the PKK on military bases the day before. The fighting threatens a two-year long cease-fire agreement between the Turkish government and the PKK. To curb dissent within Turkey, the government yesterday proposed a legislative bill giving additional powers to government security forces. The proposal came in response to the violent protests that have taken place in the last couple of weeks against the government’s refusal to provide military support to Kobani. Britain-Palestine. The UK House of Commons voted overwhelmingly in favor of a nonbinding parliamentary resolution recognizing the state of Palestine on Monday. British Prime Minister David Cameron abstained. Britain’s ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, called the vote a “significant” symbolic representation of shifting British attitudes towards Israel after the latest Gaza war. A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday warning that the UK vote could “undermine the chances to reach a real peace.” Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, Israeli security forces arrested several Palestinian protesters on Wednesday outside Al Aqsa mosque, during clashes with police officers. Competing Palestinian and Israeli worshipers have clashed over the past few days in competing efforts to pray at the site, prompting Israeli security forces to lock a number of allegedly armed Palestinians in the mosque on Monday to prevent a riot during Jewish prayers. Jordan. A Jordanian court charged twenty-six people on Monday for engaging in “terrorist acts, using weapons and inflammable materials in contravention of anti-terrorism law.” The men were arrested after confrontations in a market in Amman on Friday. Tensions flared up again on Saturday after market stalls were dismantled, prompting the Islamic Action Front, the Jordanian faction of the Muslim Brotherhood, to criticize the decision. Saudi Arabia. A leading cleric in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, was sentenced to death yesterday by a Saudi judge for calling for Shiites to enjoy greater rights in the country. He has previously been arrested and is routinely accused by the Saudi government of prompting the violent protests that spread in Shiite dominated parts of the country between 2011 and 2013.

Significant Developments Turkey-Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on the U.S.-led coalition to supply arms and training to opposition ground troops in Syria, arguing that “Kobani [was] about to fall” to ISIS. Erdogan nonetheless refused to commit Turkish ground forces. The Turkish leader’s decision to withhold ground troops, stemming primarily from a refusal to engage with affiliates of the PKK, sparked clashes between Kurdish protesters and security forces throughout Turkey. More than 19 people were killed and 36 injured in the confrontations Tuesday night and Turkish authorities imposed curfews in six provinces. Meanwhile, ISIS is poised to take the town of Kobani, where over 12,000 Kurdish civilians are currently trapped. The U.S.-led coalition has conducted 11 airstrikes against ISIS troops around Kobani this week, but Pentagon spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby said today that, “airstrikes alone are not ... going to save the town of Kobani.” Egypt. The Sinai-based extremist Islamist group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, released a video on Monday showing members of the group beheading three Egyptian nationals and shooting to death a fourth. The group accused the three Egyptians who were beheaded of collaborating with Israeli Intelligence. The Egyptian who was shot dead reportedly confessed to serving as an informant for the Egyptian military. The video also included clips of recent speeches by ISIS leaders, implying that Ansar Beit al-Maqdis may be forging closer ties with the group. Egyptian military officials yesterday claimed the army killed 16 members of the group in operations targeting the militia’s hideouts. U.S. Foreign Policy UAE-Turkey-Saudi Arabia. Vice President Joseph Biden called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi on Sunday to apologize for comments made during a foreign policy speech at Harvard last Thursday. Biden had told a questioner that the United States’ biggest issue in its fight against ISIS and Syria was “America’s allies in the region.” He further accused the UAE of “funneling” weapons to Syrian rebels, enabling them to fall into the hands of extremists. It was the second apology of the weekend for Biden, who called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday to make amends for comments made during the same speech about Turkey allowing foreign fighters to cross its borders. A senior White House official confirmed on Monday that Biden was also reaching out to apologize to Saudi Arabia. Iraq-Syria. U.S. Central Command released figures on Monday indicating that the Pentagon has spent over $1.1 billion on U.S. army and navy operations in Iraq and Syria since the middle of June. Officials speculate that daily costs have totaled between $7 and $10 million dollars since then. Costs increased noticeably once U.S. airstrikes began over Iraq in August and continued to rise when military operations were extended to Syria in September. Israel. The White House responded strongly on Monday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion the day before on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that criticism of Israel’s settlement activity was contrary to “American values.” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest retorted that “American values” were responsible for providing “unwavering support to Israel” and that U.S. funding for the Iron Dome had ensured the safety of Israeli citizens from Hamas rockets in the Gaza conflict this summer. President Barack Obama had warned that the building of new settlements risked “poison[ing] the atmosphere” with Palestinians and the Arab World. While We Were Looking Elsewhere Yemen. Houthi rebels rejected the nomination of Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as new prime minister on Tuesday. The Houthis did not consider him sufficiently independent since he is a top aide of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. In other news, security officials in Yemen reported today the occurrence of six simultaneous attacks on security bases and government offices in the south of the capital, Sana’a. The blasts, which killed twenty-nine people, have been attributed to alleged al-Qaeda militants. Iraq. Dutch F-16 fighter planes carried out their first strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq on Tuesday in support of the U.S.-led coalition. The strikes allegedly destroyed several vehicles, and may also have succeeding in killing ISIS fighters. Meanwhile, the Canadian parliament voted to join the international coalition in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. Israel-ISIS. Police in Nazareth retrieved around two dozen flags bearing the ISIS logo from the city’s industrial area. Police have begun investigating potential uses and owners. Israel officially banned forging relationships with anyone affiliated with ISIS in September. Israeli police recently apprehended two ISIS supporters: a 24 year old teacher, who confessed to smuggling ISIS and jihad-related material from Jordan; and a Palestinian woman prisoner who praised ISIS to other prisoners. Israeli officials complained to the Swedish ambassador to Jerusalem on Monday to object to Sweden’s new prime minister’s decision to recognize a state of Palestine. The new center-right government, led by Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, would be the first member of the EU to recognize a Palestinian state. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the decision “counter-productive,” while officials in Washington called the announcement “premature.” Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed responsibility yesterday for planting a bomb on Lebanon’s southern border that injured two Israeli soldiers. The explosion came two days after Israeli soldiers fired at a Lebanese Army post. In retaliation, the Israeli army fired artillery close to residential areas along the border. Today the U.S. embassy in Beirut in Lebanon called on Hezbollah and the Lebanese army to support the United Nations peacekeeping efforts to maintain quiet on the ground.

International efforts to combat ISIS dominated the recent debate in New York when world leaders converged for the UN General Assembly’s sixty-ninth session. Middle East Matters has excerpted passages from regional leaders, all of whom spoke about the ISIS challenge, though in markedly different ways. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and this summer’s fighting also featured heavily, with most speeches specifically calling for the Gaza strip to be rebuilt. Also noteworthy was what wasn’t mentioned. Niether Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi nor Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem said a word about Gaza. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani chose not to name ISIS explicitly, though he implied that the Assad regime was to blame for the region’s ills. Here’s what some of them had to say:   President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt On ISIS-Terrorism “The formation of a new government approved by the Parliament in the brotherly country of Iraq is a significant development that restores hope in the possibility of an improvement in the situation there, and in the success of the internal and external attempts to achieve stability, restore the areas that fell under the control ofthe terrorist organization ‘ISIS’, maintain the territorial integrity of Iraq, end the bloodshed, and realize the aspirations and hopes of the Iraqis, as well as their efforts to bring back security and stability in their country.” On Israel/Palestine/Gaza “Despite the multitude of crises threatening our region, some of which I alluded to, the Palestinian issue remains a top priority for Egypt. Palestinians still aspire to establish their independent state on the occupied territories in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the principles upon which the peace process was established since the nineteen seventies following an Egyptian initiative. These principles are not up for negotiation, otherwise the basis of a comprehensive peace in the region would erode, and the values of justice and humanity would vanish. The continued deprivation of the Palestinian people of their rights is undoubtedly exploited by some to inflame other crises, achieve hidden goals, fragment Arab unity, and impose control on Palestinians under the guise of realizing their aspirations.” On Egypt’s internal situation “The world is starting to grasp the reality of what happened in Egypt, and to understand the circumstances that drove Egyptians to intuitively take to the streets to rebel against the forces of extremism and darkness, which once in power, undermined the foundations of the democratic process and national institutions, and sought to impose a state of polarization to break the unity ofthe people.” President Hassan Rouhani, Iran On ISIS-Terrorism “I deeply regret to say that terrorism has become globalized: "From New York to Mosul, from Damascus to Baghdad, from the Easternmost to the Westernmost parts of the world, from Al-Qaeda to Daesh". The extremists of the world have found each other and have put out the call: "extremists of the world unite". But are we united against the extremists?!” “The strategic blunders of the West in the Middle-East, Central Asia, and the Caucuses have turned these parts of the world into a haven for terrorists and extremists.” On Israel/Palestine//Gaza “Had we had greater cooperation and coordination in the Middle East, thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza would not have been fallen victim to Zionist regime’s aggression.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel On ISIS-Terrorism "Last week, many of the countries represented here rightly applauded President Obama for leading the effort to confront ISIS. And yet weeks before, some of the same countries, the same countries that now support confront ISIS, opposed Israel for confronting Hamas. They evidently don’t understand that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree." “So, when it comes to their ultimate goals, Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas”. “But they all share a fanatic ideology. They all seek to create ever expanding enclaves of militant Islam where there is no freedom and no tolerance- where women are treated as chattel, Christians are decimated, and minorities are subjugated, sometimes given the stark choice: convert or die.” On Israeli-Palestinian peace “Many have long assumed that an Israeli-Palestinian peace can help facilitate a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab World. But these days I think it may work the other way around: Namely that a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world may help facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian peace. And therefore, to achieve that peace, we must look not only to Jerusalem and Ramallah, but also to Cairo, to Amman, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and elsewhere […]” On Iran "The Nazis believed in a master race. The militant Islamists believe in a master faith. They just disagree about who among them will be the master...of the master faith. That’s what they truly disagree about. Therefore, the question before us is whether militant Islam will have the power to realize its unbridled ambitions. There is one place where that could soon happen: The Islamic State of Iran." "Imagine how much more dangerous the Islamic State, ISIS, would be if it possessed chemical weapons. Now imagine how much more dangerous the Islamic state of Iran would be if it possessed nuclear weapons." His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan On ISIS-Terrorism “The teachings of true Islam are clear: sectarian conflict and strife are utterly condemned. Islam prohibits violence against Christians and other communities that make up each country. Let me say once again: Arab Christians are an integral part of my region’s past, present, and future.” On Israel/Palestine/Gaza “We cannot address the future of my region without addressing its central conflict: the denial of Palestinian rights and statehood.” “A first, imperative step is to mobilise international efforts to rebuild Gaza. As we do so, we must also marshal the united, global response needed to achieve a once-and-for-all, lasting settlement.” On Refugees “The heavy flow of Syrian refugees continues. My country is sheltering nearly 1.4 million Syrians. We are now the world’s third largest host of refugees. This is placing an overwhelming burden on Jordan’s people, infrastructure and already limited resources.” President Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine On ISIS-Terrorism “Confronting the terrorism that plagues our region by groups - such as "ISIL" and others that have no basis whatsoever in the tolerant Islamic religion or with humanity and are committing brutal and heinous atrocities - requires much morethan military confrontation. […] It requires, in this context and as a priority, bringing an end to the Israeli occupation of our country, which constitutes in its practices and perpetuation, an abhorrent form of state terrorism anda breeding ground for incitement, tension and hatred.” On Israel/Palestine/Gaza "This last war against Gaza was a series of absolute war crimes carried out before the eyes and ears of the entire world, moment by moment, in a manner that makes it inconceivable that anyone today can claim that they did not realize the magnitude and horror of the crime." “We reaffirm here that the primary prerequisite for the success of all these plans and efforts is an end to the ongoing Israeli blockade that has for years suffocated the Gaza Strip and turned it into the largest prison in the world for nearly two million Palestinian citizens. At the same time, we affirm our commitment and the necessity to consolidate the cease-fire through negotiations under the auspices of Egypt.” Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Qatar On ISIS-Terrorism “It has been proven beyond doubt, that terrorism can only be defeated in its social environment. If societies are to stand with us in the fight against terrorism, we need to be fair with them and not push them to choose between terrorism and tyranny, or between terrorism and sectarian discrimination.” “This is what the majority of the Syrian people must be persuaded of after being soaked in blood spilled by the Syrian regime for daring to demand freedom and dignity.” On Israel/Palestine/Gaza “The damages caused by the repeated Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip over the past years, the unjust siege imposed on it, and the destruction it caused in its infrastructure, make it imperative for the international community to compel Israel to implement the resolutions of the international legitimacy, fulfill its obligations and expedite the removal of obstacles in order to lift the blocade and achieve the reconstruction process.” “The international community’s response to the aspirations of the Palestinian people to freedom and national independence is a prerequisite to confirm the justice of international legitimacy, especially since the question of Palestine is the last remaining issue on the decolonization agenda.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Walid Al-Moualem, Syria On ISIS-Terrorism “You are witnessing today what the ISIS, the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world at all in terms of funding and brutality is doing to Syrians and Iraqis of all spectra and religions. This terrorist organization is enslaving women, raping them and selling them in slave markets; it is cutting heads and limbs, and it is teaching children slaughter and murder, besides destroying historical and cultural monuments, as well as Islamic and Christian Symbols.” “Has not the moment of truth arrived for us all to admit that ISIS, Al-Nusrah Front and the rest of Al-Qaeda affiliates, will not be limited within the borders of Syria and Iraq, but will spread to every spot it can reach, starting with Europe and America?” “Let us together stop this ideology and its exporters, let us, simultaneously, exert pressure on the countries that joined the coalition led by the United States to stop their support of armed terrorist groups”. On Israel/Palestine/Gaza “Syria confirms, also, that the Palestinian issue is the central issue of the Syrian people, which supports the inalienable and legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, particularly, the right to return and self-determination, and to establish its independent state on its land, with Jerusalem as its capital.” On the internal political situation in Syria “Now, after the presidential elections, we would like to tell everyone that who wants and looks forward to a political solution in Syria that they must firstly respect the Syrian people’s will, which was manifested explicitly, clearly, strongly and most loudly. They chose their President, for the first time in Syria’s modern history, in multi-party elections, with international monitors from several countries that witnessed the integrity, transparency and the enthusiasm of the people to participate in these elections.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates On ISIS-Terrorism “With the increased incidence of terrorism and extremism in our region, most notably perpetrated by ISIS, the international community must be aware that the threats posed by these terrorist and extremist groups are expanding beyond our region to threaten the rest of the civilized world.” On Israel/Palestine/Gaza “The UAE strongly condemns Israel’s aggression against Gaza, especially the destruction inflicted upon its population and civilian facilities, including the United Nations’ facilities, and we demand a thorough, transparent and independent investigation be conducted, in order to determine the legal responsibility for these damages.” On Egypt “This hope is driven by the remarkable progress achieved by the new government in Egypt and its good governance in implementing its political roadmap. Despite the challenges facing Egypt, the signs of normalcy in public life and the revived economy and culture are promising.” “Therefore, the UAE regrets the statements of some countries and their unacceptable questioning of the legitimacy of the Egyptian government. The present Egyptian government was freely elected by its people, who believe in their ability to fulfill their aspirations. Questioning the Egyptian people’s will and their right to choose their representatives is an interference in the internal affairs of Egypt and undermines its stability. Accordingly, I would like to emphasize that the stability of our region depends on the stability of Egypt.”  

Significant Developments Syria. The United States conducted its first ever military strikes against ISIS in Syria this week, targeting primarily oil refineries and infrastructure used for command and control in Raqqa. U. S. military and intelligence officials said on Tuesday that the airstrikes had also targeted an al-Qaeda affiliate called Khorasan. The group had reportedly been organizing an “imminent” attack from Syria against the United States or Europe. According to press reports, U.S. ambassador to the UN Samantha Power informed her Syrian counterpart in advance of the airstrikes in Syria. Iraq’s new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed U.S. officials passed a message to the Assad government via Baghdad that the United States was not targeting his regime. A Syrian diplomat was quoted yesterday in a pro-regime newspaper saying, “the U.S. military leadership is now fighting in the same trenches with the Syrian generals.” Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi expressed tentative support for U.S. airstrikes in Syria after being reassured that ISIS is the target. Abadi noted that, “as a neighbor, I don’t want to be party to the disintegration of Syria or to have diminished sovereignty of Syria.” France conducted its first airstrikes in Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS on Monday. In retaliation to France’s attacks, a militant group affiliated with ISIS, Jund al-Khilafa, kidnapped and beheaded French national Hervé Gourdel in Algeria. President Francois Hollande declared at the United Nations that France will continue to provide military support to the coalition against ISIS. Meanwhile, the British parliament voted today to approve the United Kingdom’s participation in U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. Iran. President Hassan Rouhani blamed the West and Arab regimes for creating ISIS at the UN General Assembly yesterday. Rouhani also suggested that Iran would not cooperate in U.S.-led efforts to combat ISIS until a deal is reached on Iran’s nuclear program. British Prime Minister David Cameron and Rouhani met in New York on Wednesday morning in the first summit meeting of the two countries since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Meanwhile, a P5+1 meeting with Iranian officials scheduled for today in New York was cancelled at the last minute. French Foreign Minister Fabius told reporters, “We were due to have a meeting this morning of the P5+1 on one side and the Iranians on the other but because of a lack of progress, this meeting (had) to be called off.” U.S. Foreign Policy ISIS. President Barack Obama, speaking before the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, focused primarily on the threat posed by ISIS and Islamist radicals. Obama reaffirmed the need to establish a strong coalition against ISIS stating that “the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death, [as] the only language understood by killers like this [ISIS] is the language of force.” Later that day, Obama led a session of the United Nations Security Council which unanimously passed a resolution to calling upon states to adopt legislation to stop their citizens from travelling to join terrorist groups and from providing financial aid to them. While We Were Looking Elsewhere Arab Bank. On Monday, a federal jury in Brooklyn found the Amman-based Arab Bank, the largest financial institution in Jordan, liable for facilitating twenty-four terrorist attacks by Hamas between 2001 and 2004. It was the first jury verdict of a U.S. anti-terrorism statute passed in 1990. The lawyers of the plaintiffs, family members of victims of Hamas’ attacks, argued that the Arab Bank knowingly handled transfers and payments for members of the terrorist organization. The decision is being watched closely by banks throughout the Middle East. Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested on Tuesday that the forty-nine hostages who were captured in Iraq and held for over three months by ISIS were released as a result of the Turkish government agreeing to a non-monetary deal with the group. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Erdogan refuted claims that a ransom was paid, but did not explicitly deny the possibility of a prisoner swap with ISIS, stating that “such a thing is possible.” Meanwhile, over 140,000 Syrian Kurds have sought refuge in Turkey since the ISIS attack on Kurdish town of Ayn al-Arab late last week. Turkey is currently hosting an estimated 1.6 million Syrian refugees. The United Nations has further warned that the numbers of Syrian Kurdish refugees could exceed 400,000 in the near future. Palestine. President Mahmoud Abbas, accusing Israel of conducting a “war of genocide” in Gaza, refrained from saying he will pursue war crimes against the Jewish state at the International Criminal Court. Abbas also said he would seek a UN resolution setting a deadline for Israel’s withdrawal from territories it captured in 1967, though he did not include a three-year target as other Palestinian officials said he would. Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah officials reportedly made progress in talks yesterday about implementing the national reconciliation agreement that was first agreed upon last April. Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, declared that the national unity government, which was sworn in on June 2, would take over government institutions and border crossings in Gaza. However, PLO officials cautioned that Thursday’s progress lacked substance and many of the areas of dispute, including payment of public employees in Gaza, have yet to be resolved. Yemen. Houthi rebels and the Yemeni transitional government agreed Sunday night to an immediately effective ceasefire and to form a new “technocratic national government” following the rebels’ successful assault on Sana’a. On Wednesday, the Yemeni state oil company announced a cut in fuel prices, which was one of the key demands of Houthi rebels, while Yemeni authorities freed two Hezbollah members with ties to the Houthis on Wednesday. Houthi fighters have thus far ignored the part of Sunday’s peace deal that called for them to withdraw from Sana’a. EU. Belgian authorities tightened security around the European Commission buildings on Monday following reports of a planned terrorist attack related to ISIS. Belgian authorities also confirmed that they had detained a couple on their return to Brussels from Syria under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. They were suspected of plotting an attack on the Commission buildings. Israel-Palestine. Two suspects in the June killing of the three Yeshiva students, which sparked the latest round of fighting in Gaza, were shot dead by the Israeli military on Tuesday. According to IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, the suspects were shot by the IDF after they “came out shooting” from the building they had been hiding in for a week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed his cabinet on Tuesday that “there [has been] accounting of justice” despite the ongoing suffering of the boys’ parents. Conversely, several Palestinians have denounced the killing as extrajudicial. Hamas, who had previously confirmed the suspects were affiliated with the group, praised them as heroes and led a large-scale funeral procession in their honor. Israel-Syria. The Israeli military shot down a Syrian fighter plane on Tuesday when it crossed into Israeli-controlled air space over the Golan Heights. A spokesperson for the Israeli Air Force said that the pilots had ejected from the aircraft safely into Syrian controlled territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the downing of the aircraft, expressing security concerns over the potential for Islamist militants to strike Israel.

Significant Developments Syria. French President Francois Hollande announced today that France would provide military support, including airstrikes, against ISIS in Iraq. On Monday, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom pledged support for the fight against ISIS following the conclusion of the Paris conference. Wrapping up his tour of the Middle East to recruit Arab support, Secretary of State John Kerry received assurances of good intentions from Egypt and Iraq, while Saudi Arabia pledged to provide the training of Syrian rebel forces at its bases. Less clear was what, if any, would be their military contributions. Germany is set to host a conference for Iraq and Syria in Berlin on October 28 to discuss security concerns in the region. Meanwhile, the United States carried out its first airstrikes in support of the Iraqi army on Monday, destroying six ISIS vehicles and a combat post. With the support of U.S. aircraft, Kurdish peshmerga forces recaptured seven Christian villages west of Irbil this week. Since President Barack Obama’s address to the nation last week pledging U.S. airstrikes again ISIS, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that 162 new recruits have joined ISIS training camps in Aleppo. On Tuesday, ISIS released a new propaganda video entitled “Flames of War,” showing wounded American soldiers and ending with “the fighting has just begun.” An unidentified surveillance drone, the first of its kind, was seen over Aleppo today, where ISIS militants reportedly began evacuating in anticipation of a U.S. airstrike. Meanwhile, ISIS seized twenty-one Kurdish villages in northern Syria close to the Turkish border, spurring the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) to call on Turkish Kurds to come to the aid of the Syrian Kurdish population. Saudi Arabia.Saudi Arabia’s state appointed Council of Senior Scholars, led by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al al-Sheikh, declared terrorism a “heinous crime” yesterday. The Council, the sole body in Saudi Arabia empowered to issue fatwas (Islamic legal opinions), called for adherents to be publicly executed as a deterrent to future recruits and banned militant financing. The move follows previous public statements by the Saudi grand mufti in recent weeks in which he labelled al-Qaeda and ISIS militants “Islam’s foremost enemy.” U.S. Foreign Policy ISIS. President Barack Obama insisted yesterday, in a speech at MacDill Air Force Base, that the United States would not send troops to fight “another ground war in Iraq.” His assurances came a day after U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he could foresee the possibility of U.S. ground troops in Iraq. Aides subsequently said that Dempsey was merely “describing contingency plans” as part of his role as military advisor to the president. The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday authorized President Barack Obama to train and arm Syrian rebels as part of the U.S. led effort to defeat ISIS. The president, vice president and high-raking White House officials personally lobbied for the bill to be passed. The authorization, which was attached as an amendment to a bill to keep the government funded until December 11, was approved with a vote of 273 to 156. This will guarantee that the issue will be revisited in the near future when the routine funding legislation expires. While We Were Looking Elsewhere Qatar. Senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Amr Darrag said that Qatar last Saturday asked several influential members of the Islamist group to leave the Gulf country last Saturday. The Qatari request suggests that Doha, a traditional Brotherhood ally, may be seeking to ease tensions with neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which view the Brotherhood as a threat to their regimes. Turkey. Turkey’s military has reportedly initiated logistical planning for a buffer zone to be imposed on its southern border as protection against spillovers from the Syria and Iraqi conflicts. Turkish plans include possibly implementing a no-fly zone and providing humanitarian assistance to civilian refugees. The move follows reports last week that Turkey has ruled out participating in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. Meanwhile, President Tayyep Recep Erdogan hinted on Monday that members of the Muslim Brotherhood recently exiled from Qatar could be granted asylum in Turkey. Libya. Libya’s internationally recognized parliament rejected acting Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni’s proposed cabinet today amidst the country’s escalating security crisis. Members of Parliament had requested a streamlined ten person “crisis” cabinet, but al-Thinni submitted eighteen nominations. Both the parliament and al-Thinni are currently based in the eastern town of Tobruk, essentially in domestic exile after Islamists seized Tripoli and set up a rival government there. Al-Thinni has accused Qatar of contributing to the instability; on Monday, he claimed that Qatar sent three planes loaded with weapons to the opposition-controlled capital. Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo warned yesterday that Libya could devolve into a civil war and become another Syria at an international conference on Libya. Sixteen foreign ministers attended the conference along with representatives from the UN and the Arab League. Egypt. In an unusual ruling, an Egyptian court released Alaa Abd El Fattah , a prominent political activist and blogger from prison on bail last Monday. Abd al Fattah has been imprisoned under four different administrations in Egypt, from President Mubarak to President Sisi. Abd El Fattah, who was released due to procedural irregularities during his earlier trial, still faces retrial in another court. Gaza. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah announced today that Saudi Arabia has pledged $500 million to help rebuild Gaza. Reconstruction in the coastal strip is estimated to cost $4 billion and take up to three years. Meanwhile, an agreement was brokered by the UN between the Israelis and Palestinians on Tuesday to allow up to 800 truckloads of construction supplies to enter Gaza daily. This figure is four times the amount currently in transit. The materials will enable the reconstruction of the eighteen thousand homes destroyed or severely damaged during Operation Protective Edge this summer. The UN agreed to track the progress of the goods from purchase to arrival in Gaza in order to address Israeli concerns that the materials may be diverted by Hamas to build more tunnels. Golan Heights. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced this week the withdrawal of UNDOF (UN Disengagement Observer Force) troops from their bases in the Golan Heights. The peacekeepers were moved to the Israeli-controlled side of the buffer zone after unidentified Syrian fighters moved too close to their former base. The move comes after forty-five Fijian members of the peacekeeping force were captured by the Al-Nusra Front over two weeks ago. Those forces were released earlier this week. Yemen. Houthi fighters pushed into a suburb of Yemen’s capital today in an escalation of weeks of fighting. Over forty people have been killed in the past two days of clashes between the Shiite rebel group and the Yemeni security forces. Houthi protestors in Sana’a have been calling for the resignation of the government and the reinstatement of fuel subsidies for weeks.