Livni Nods to Peace Amid Political Talks

Official gives details of proposed deal

(NEWSER) - Despite the angry-sounding words recently exchanged between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over planned Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to push for a new settlement freeze. Under the proposed deal, Netanyahu will ask his cabinet to freeze construction for just 90 more days so that Palestine will resume peace talks. Once a peace agreement is signed, the US will give Israel a $3 billion package of security incentives and fighter jets, the New York Times reports. More»

A victory for Obama, Clinton—but peace a long way off

(NEWSER) - It's official: After a 20-month hiatus, Israeli and Palestinian leaders will resume direct peace talks. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced today that talks will begin Sept. 2 in Washington, with the goal of reaching a settlement within one year, the AP reports . "There have been difficulties in the past; there will be difficulties ahead. Without a doubt, we will hit more obstacles," she said. "The enemies of peace will keep trying to defeat us and to derail these talks. But I ask the parties to persevere." More»

(NEWSER) - Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today called for the creation of a limited Palestinian state for the first time, saying it would have to be disarmed. Netanyahu spoke during a major policy speech about his Mideast peacemaking intentions, in which he called on Palestinian leaders to restart peace negotiations. "In any peace agreement, the territory under Palestinian control must be disarmed, with solid security guarantees for Israel," he said. More»

(AP) - The last Israeli troops left the Gaza Strip before dawn today, the military said, as Israel dispatched its foreign minister to Europe in a bid to rally international support to end arms smuggling into the Hamas-ruled territory. The timing of the pullout reflected Israeli hopes to defuse the Gaza crisis before Barack Obama took office. The military said troops remain massed on the Israeli side of the border and are poised to take action if militants violate a fragile 3-day ceasefire. More»

Israel keeps schools closed as citizens huddle in bomb shelters

(NEWSER) - Gaza and Israel continued to exchange rocket attacks for air strikes this weekend, leaving 18 Palestinians dead, four Israelis wounded, and world leaders weighing in on the latest round of Middle East violence, the Guardian reports. On the Israeli side, schools were kept closed and thousands of civilians spent hours huddled in bomb shelters. In Palestine, an air strike on a refugee camp left a 12-year-old boy among the dead. Another 26 Palestinians were reported hurt, five seriously. More»