Abbas accuses Iran of blocking Palestinian reconciliation

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas lashed out at Iran on Friday, blaming Tehran for being behind the latest failure to reconcile his secular Fatah movement with its Islamist rival Hamas.

“Iran doesn’t want Hamas to sign the Cairo reconciliation document,” Abbas said during a meeting in the Tunisian capital.

Fatah and Hamas struggled for months to reach a unity deal under Egyptian mediation, but the efforts collapsed late last year when Hamas refused to agree to a proposal that was signed by Fatah. (more…)

Hamas released British journalist

Gaza’s Hamas rulers on Thursday released a British journalist held for a month amid allegations he had endangered the territory’s security.

A smiling Paul Martin was dropped off by Hamas guards near a Gaza crossing into Israel. He was handed over to British diplomats who escorted him out of the territory.

Martin, a freelance journalist, was the first foreigner to have been arrested since Hamas overran Gaza in 2007. (more…)

PLO gives approval for indirect talks with Israel

A skeptical Palestinian leadership agreed Sunday to begin U.S.-mediated peace talks with Israel, effectively ending a 14-month breakdown in communications between the two sides.

Sunday’s decision marks a first achievement for U.S. diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian arena. (more…)

Australia sends police to Israel over Dubai assassination

Australian police arrived in Israel on Wednesday to investigate identity theft of dual nationals in connection with the Dubai assassination widely blamed on Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. CSM

Dubai police: Israeli premier faces arrest

The head of the Dubai police is planning to seek the arrest of the prime minister of Israel and the head of the country’s secret service, Mossad, over the killing of a Hamas leader.
Dhahi Khalfan Tamim told Al Jazeera he would ask the Dubai prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for Binyamin Netanyahu and Meir Dagan this week.
Tamim said he was “almost certain” Israeli agents were involved in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas commander, at a Dubai hotel in January. (more…)

Hezbollah: All foreigners in Lebanon could be spies

Reacting to the assassination in Dubai , a Hezbollah lawmaker urged that security should be stepped up for all foreigners entering Lebanon as they could be secret agents like those who murdered Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh . (more…)

Dubai restricts Israeli entry after Hamas killing

Dubai’s police chief said it will enforce an entry ban on Israeli dual nationals, the first sanction by the emirate following its allegations Israeli intelligence agents murdered a top Hamas leader there in January. WSJ

Assassination of Hamas leader in Dubai scares Hezbollah

Hezbollah has reportedly requested the Lebanese authorities to keep an eye on foreigners coming from countries whose passports were used in the operation of assassinating Hamas top official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, according to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper (more…)

Watch Syria for signs of Obama’s Mideast chances

If you want to get an early read on the ultimate success or failure of the Obama administration’s policies for the Middle East, keep an eye on Syria.

Mossad ‘factory’ churned out fake Australian passports

A former Mossad officer has alleged the Israeli spy agency has its own “passport factory” to create or doctor passports for use in intelligence operations.
Relations between Australia and Israel are under strain after three Australian passports were apparently used by suspects in the killing of top Hamas leader Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in Dubai last month. (more…)