The war last summer between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip left more than 2,100 Palestinians dead and vast areas reduced to rubble. On Monday a group of Israeli veterans released sobering testimony from fellow soldiers that suggests permissive rules of engagement coupled with indiscriminate artillery fire contributed to the mass destruction and high numbers of civilian casualties in the coastal enclave. The original report is available here.

Eight months after last summer’s war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, Gaza remains in ruins. Drive five minutes into the territory from the crossing point in southwestern Israel and you reach Beit Hanoun, one of the areas hit most severely by land and air during the conflict.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee opposes amendments it would “ordinarily support” to a bill mandating congressional review of an Iran nuclear deal.

Secretary of State John Kerry sought to calm Israeli worries over an emerging nuclear deal with Iran in an interview aired Sunday, dismissing some concerns as brought on by “hysteria” over the possible agreement.

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman announced Monday that he was resigning from his current position as foreign minister and that his party would not join the new coalition.

Having won 10 Knesset seats, Kulanu head Moshe Kahlon plans to focus on social justice issues and will not push the Netanyahu government toward renewing negotiations with the Palestinians.

Israel’s budget deficit is set to widen sharply in 2016 as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu races to put together a governing coalition by this week’s deadline, including promises of increased spending for critical allies.

Shas leader Arye Deri confirmed that he will be given the Economy portfolio held by Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett in the outgoing government, and that he also would become religious affairs minister.

Former Labor party leader Shelly Yachimovich boycotted Monday’s Zionist Union faction meeting at the Knesset, and the continued joint leadership of MK Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni.

Some 2,026 structures in the West Bank were built on privately owned Palestinian land, according to a study conducted by the right-wing organization Regavim and submitted to Knesset members ahead of deliberations on legislation aimed at expropriating land from Palestinian owners.

When you visit Sheik Sayah in the tiny Bedouin village of Al Araqib not far from Beersheva, he will show you documents signed by his great-great-grandfather who purchased and registered his land in 1905 during the Ottoman Empire. He will show you tax receipts from the British mandate. He will show you gravestones from 1914 in the village’s cemetery.
 You’ll see where village houses once stood and hear why residents are staying even though Israeli police have demolished their homes 83 times, put many in jail and is suing the villagers nearly 2 million NIS [about $500,000] for the cost of the demolitions.

“Positive developments in the treatment of minors by Israeli security forces are overshadowed by partial and half-hearted implementation,” writes Gerard Horton.

Violations carried out by Israeli settlers are destroying historic sites in Palestine in what many see as an attempt to bury Palestinian historic and cultural heritage.

Guards shot Palestinian in the legs after one said he had been attacked from behind; no weapon found at scene of incident.

“In face of Israel’s new right-wing government, the Palestinian Authority is planning a diplomatic offensive to reconquer the interest of the international community,” writes Uri Savir.

The Palestinian Authority’s ruling party Fatah is seeking to reshuffle the national consensus government, a senior Fatah official told Ma’an late Saturday.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would hold presidential and legislative elections once he receives a written request in this regard from Palestinian faction Hamas, former US President Jimmy Carter said Saturday. Hamas replied that it was ready for elections, and accused Abbas of being “not serious” about conducting them.

A Salafist group based in the Gaza Strip has accused Hamas of torturing its supporters in prison and closely watching other supporters in cities and refugee camps across the coastal enclave.