More than 1,000 Palestinian families took possession of new apartments Saturday as part of a large Qatari-funded housing project in the Gaza Strip. The units are the first batch of a 3,000-apartment complex that was announced when the former Qatari ruler, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, became the first head of state to visit Hamas-ruled Gaza in 2012.

Most people have a stereotypical image of the Palestinians — sitting in refugee camps and the 67 years of agony since they were uprooted from their homeland showing on their faces, or covering their faces with the checkered black-and-white keffiyeh and throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. But a few young Palestinians are showing the world a completely new face of Palestine. They include a great singer, a talented musician and a gifted gymnast. These artists join the ranks of a few Palestinian poets and writers who have gained international fame.

Hamas is having a hard time these days. Animosity with the military regime in Cairo has led to the closure of Gaza’s vital smuggling tunnels. According to Monocle, the tunnels act as a vital supply route and Hamas says the current impasse is costing the Gaza economy about $230 million a month.

Turkey is sending increasingly positive messages regarding a reconciliation agreement with Israel, as the March 30 local election nears. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told AFP on Wednesday that Turkey is interested in bringing the 2010 Mavi Marmara crisis to an end. 

Ever since Ariel Sharon sank into a coma eight years ago, many have wondered whether he would have taken the peace process with the Palestinians any further after the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. A series of cables from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to the State Department that were leaked to Wikileaks show that in fact, even before the Gaza withdrawal, Sharon was planning his next big diplomatic move.

A year ago, Mohammed Assaf was a 23-year-old wedding singer in a Gaza refugee camp. But since he won the “Arab Idol” singing competition in June, in front of more than 100 million viewers, he has become something of a pop superstar in the Arab world. Now, Mr. Assaf is trying to conquer North America, or at least its people of Arab descent.

The Gaza Strip's ruling Hamas movement has cancelled its upcoming anniversary celebrations, for the first time since it came to power six years ago, as the territory grapples with economic woes. Hamas said it would be inappropriate to hold the annual celebrations, used to display the group's control on the region, as deep economic challenges rip the crowded coastal strip. "The decision to cancel the rally is a message of solidarity recognising the difficult circumstances experienced by our people in Gaza," Hamas official Ashraf Abu Zayed was quoted by AP news agency as saying.

The Israeli Army shared its first comic book titled Hamas in Comics: Terror and Tyranny in Gaza, commemorating the so-called Operation "Pillar of Defense", an eight-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to a post on the army's blog, the comic aims to "show you the terrorist organisation like you've never seen it before".