"Under a blessed cloud of secrecy, important negotiations were held with Hamas about the future of Gaza..."--Former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy writes about Israel's quiet but active new policy with Hamas.
- Settlers raid Nablus village - Dozens of settlers raided the northern West Bank village Qusra overnight Monday, uprooting more than 190 olive trees. Palestinian security guards chased the settlers, and detained four of them for a short period of time. The Israeli forces quickly intervened, entered the village, and released the settlers. Last Thursday, dozens of settlers uprooted 40 of the village's olive trees. (Maan)
- Supreme Court orders state to evacuate West Bank outpost of Amona by end of April - The justices did not give reasons for their decision but ordered the state to provide a situation update by March and ordered the residents to submit a position paper outlining their stance. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Israel begins charging evicted Gaza settlers for their mobile homes - Many angry residents, who have been living at a mobile home site since being evicted in the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, say they will not pay. (Haaretz+)
- Approved: Palestinians to report at crossings on all amounts of money above 12,000 shekels - Constitution, Law and Legal committee of Knesset approved an order obligating any person traveling between Gaza and Israel to report on transfer of money he carries. Decision made following request of Shin Bet Chief Yoram Perry to expand the existing order from the Allenby crossing to include the Gaza-Israel crossings. People at other Israeli crossings must declare holding over 100,000 shekels. (Israel Hayom, p. 7)
- Worldwide Jewry numbers 14 million - Extensive survey from Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life finds that 59% of Jewish people live in countries where they are a minority group. (Ynet)
- Rockets, rifles and axes in Fatah rally - Video shows dozens of veiled men marching in Dheisheh refugee camp to mark 48 years since Fatah's inception. Palestinian security forces conspicuously missing from scene. (Ynet)
- 'Israel will fall within 10 years, Jewish occupiers must leave' - Dr. Essam el-Erian, a senior Muslim Brotherhood official, called on Jews who left Egypt to return, as "Israel will be destroyed within a decade." A spokesman for President Mohammed Morsi says the presidency is not responsible for El-Erian's statements, and that he does not speak on the president's behalf. (Israel Hayom)
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