The Week in the Middle East looks at the increasing religious influence on the IDF, follow Palestinians trying to leave the Gaza strip and examine what Barrack Obama has achieved in the Middle East.
In this edition: no election in sight in Hamas-ruled Gaza; the battle for water between Israel and Palestine; anger boils over in Iraq after string of attacks; and the mystery man at the heart of a diplomatic row between France and Iran.
The head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas (pictured), has called for presidential and legislative elections to be held on January 24 after rival factions failed to reach a unity deal in Egyptian-brokered talks.
Charles Enderlin, France 2’s long-time correspondent in Jerusalem, discusses “Le grand aveuglement” (the great blinding), his account of the fraught relationship between Israel and Palestinian radical Islam.
Mohammed Dahlan, member of the Fatah Central Committee and former security chief in the Gaza strip was also born in a refugee camp in Khan younes. He answers France 24 questions.
The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution endorsing the Goldstone report, which accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes during the Gaza conflict earlier this year.
The deadline for rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah to sign an Egyptian-sponsored unity deal has been postponed, with Hamas saying it wanted an extension and amendments to the deal.
The UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss a report that accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during the conflict in Gaza last year amid fierce objections from Israel, which claims the report is biased against the Jewish state.
Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah are to sign a reconciliation deal in Cairo on October 26, Egypt's roreign minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, announced after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Noam Shalit, the father of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, told France 24: "We're very worried by the situation being so long, 1,200 days." Israel released footage obtained from Hamas - who captured him in 2006 - showing the soldier alive.
