As Palestinians continue to reel from the backlash of the leaked "Palestine Papers", attention was inevitably diverted to the streets of Egypt, which were literally up in smoke. As of January 29, an estimated 36 people including 12 policemen had been killed and scores of others wounded in eruptions throughout the country. Protesters, taking their queue from Tunisia, took to the streets demanding the resignation of President Husni Mubarak, who to date, is resisting the call. Rather, in a tense address to the nation just after midnight on January 29, Mubarak told the people he had dismissed the government and pledged reforms and change. The speech left the Egyptians both unimpressed and angry and continuing to demand that the elderly leader step down from his 30-year rule.

While Palestinians are closely watching the events in Egypt and pulling with their Egyptian brethren, there has been no active participation or commentary on the upheaval. Even when Sinai Bedouin blasted a hole in the Rafah-Egypt border wall, Hamas security forces manned the borders so as to prevent any breaches.

The unrest in Egypt has Washington worried as well, what with the US's strategic alliance with Egypt. "We are deeply concerned [with the level of violence]," were the words of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 28. "We call on the Egyptian government to do everything in its power to restrain the security forces."

As regional changes continue to unfold, with anti-government protests erupting in Jordan and Yemen as well, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank is scrambling to contain the accusations lobbed against it as a result of the 1,600 leaked documents from its negotiations with Israel. The Palestine Papers, released in a storm on the Qatari satellite channel Al Jazeera on January 23 have created a fierce volley of reactions and counter-reactions between Palestinians and of course, with Al Jazeera.

On January 26, the channel hosted Saeb Erekat, the head Palestinian negotiator who earlier charged that the station's publication of the documents had put his life in danger. During the broadcast, Erekat vehemently defended his position against accusations that he had "sold out" and had agreed to concessions on Jerusalem, the refugees and on security issues. On the issue of refugees, which, according to the leaked documents, Palestinian negotiators agreed to repatriate only 10,000 refugees to their homes in Israel, Erekat fired back, "I dare Al-Jazeera to present authentic papers about Abu Mazen offering the Israeli side the return of 10,000 refugees," accusing the presenter of being "rude and lacking professionalism".

Also on January 26, Ghassan Khatib, Head of the Government Media Center said Al Jazeera was deliberately trying to distort the comments made by negotiators in order to "undermine the accomplishments of the PA towards establishing a state." While Palestinian officials try to challenge the authenticity of the documents and charge Al Jazeera with manipulating them and taking them out of their context, they have also managed to split the Palestinian people into two camps as well.

On January 26, thousands of people in Gaza took to the streets, calling President Abbas a "traitor" and denying his legitimacy as president. At the same time in the West Bank hundreds marched in various areas of the West Bank in support of the president.

A day earlier, hundreds of Fateh supporters flocked to the presidential headquarters in Ramallah to receive Abbas after his return from Egypt. They renewed their "pledge of loyalty" to him and condemned Al Jazeera and Qatar for "spreading lies."

While Israel has remained mostly quiet throughout the entire Palestine Papers scandal, Israeli Prime Minister at the time, Ehud Olmert revealed on January 27 that the two sides were very near an agreement but that circumstances such as "Olmert's legal troubles and Abbas' hesitance" got in the way.

Unfortunately, the papers have only deepened the rift between Hamas and the PA. On January 26, Hamas official Izzat Risheq condemned the PA and PLO for what he said was "negotiating away" Jerusalem and Al Aqsa. He said Hamas was now calling for an isolation of the PLO and PA.

Furthermore, former Interior Minister Nasser Youssef was up in arms at charges that he was somehow involved in the Israeli assassination of Hassan Madhoun, an Aqsa Martyrs Brigades activist in 2005, calling the insinuation a complete lie.

As usual, on the ground, Israel continued its measures unabated. On January 28, 17-year old Yousef Ikhleil was pronounced dead after being shot in the head by Jewish settlers north of Hebron. Another teenager, Murad Ikhleil was wounded in the hand.

On January 27, Uday Qadour was also shot and killed by a violent settler while working his land in the northern West Bank village of Burin. Apparently some 150 settlers from the Bat Ayin settlement descended on the village using live ammunition and clashed with local residents. The Israel army said it had opened and investigation into the killings and had arrested the settler suspects. However, Israeli human rights organization Peace Now went a step further, calling for the settlers to be disarmed.

Yariv Oppenheimer, secretary general of Peace Now, called on Israel's police to “collect most of the weapons held by settlers and act with an iron fist against any trigger-happy citizen who kills Palestinians for no reason”.

Meanwhile, according to another Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, home demolitions are on the rise in the occupied Palestinian territories. On January 25, the organization released data that showed the number of Palestinian residences in Area C demolished by Israel's civil administration had doubled compared to 2009.

In Jerusalem on January 25, Israeli authorities announced they had finished work on a 600-meter tunnel linking Silwan with the western wall. Palestinians condemned the move, saying the tunnel would threaten the foundations of Al Aqsa's western wall and the surrounding properties.

As for the Israeli "investigation" into the killing of nine Turks aboard the Mavi Marmara last May, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on January 24 that the Israeli report had "no value or credibility." A statement by the Turkish foreign ministry said it was "appalled and dismayed" at the so-called Turkel report.

In response, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Washington had been "supportive of this effort by Israel, and we think this is an independent report, credible and impartial and transparent investigation that has been undertaken by Israel."

Finally for some positive news, on January 28 Paraguay's foreign affairs ministry said it recognized a "free and independent" Palestinian state. "The Republic of Paraguay expressly reiterates the recognition of this state as free and independent with the borders of June 4, 1967," read the statement.

Days earlier, on January 25, Peru also added its recognition to the line of South American countries that recently recognized a Palestinian state. "Today the government communicated to the ambassador of Palestine in Lima recognition of the Palestinian state as free and sovereign,” said Peruvian foreign minister Jose Belaunde.

On that same day, Ireland also announced it had upgraded the level of Palestinian diplomatic representation in its country to a mission. Needless to say the Palestinians warmly welcomed all three gestures.