Palestinian Authority & Gaza Strip

PM-designate Yair Lapid would be "easier to work with but Israeli public opinion is veering to the Right," Palestinian official says. 

"[Palestinian Authority] leaders cannot stomach the idea that Israel is advancing its relations with Arab countries before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is achieved," says a senior Palestinian official.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad politburo member says that by remaining in the coalition, Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas is fighting alongside the "fascist" Zionist government in its war on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinians.

Palestinian security forces arrest five suspects, including relative of senior Hamas official, after discovering explosives lab outside Ramallah. The explosives were to be used against Mukata'a, Palestinian TV, senior PA officials, PA says.

Money was held up over some European representatives' attempts to pressure the Palestinian Authority to change anti-Jewish and anti-Israel content in school textbooks.

Israeli officials view PLO Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh as "a very, very positive player in the Palestinian arena," says Michael Milshtein, an Israeli expert on Palestinian affairs.

Palestinian sources say the Gaza-based terrorist group is "losing patience" with IDF raids in Jenin. PIJ leader: Situation requires all national and Islamic forces to take serious action.

A US delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf is in the region on a three-day visit.

The move, announced Thursday ahead of a possible visit by President Joe Biden to Israel and the West Bank, means Palestinians will deal directly with the State Department in Washington rather than go through the US Embassy in Israel first.