Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Somalis celebrate the victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he won the presidential run-off election during the celebration organized by the government in Mogadishu, on May 29, 2023.

Analysis

Turkey casts Israel’s Somaliland move as overreach, but Somalia’s fragility poses risks

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is widely dismissed in Ankara as a strategic overreach, but it is nevertheless exposing the limits of Turkey’s influence in Somalia.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

This aerial view shows residents waving Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025.

Somalia’s president heads to Turkey as Israel’s Somaliland recognition rattles region

The Somali leader’s visit comes amid a heightened Turkish-Israeli rivalry, fueled by Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, in the region and beyond.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in a joint news conference with US President Donald Trump (not seen) in the State Dining Room at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington.

Analysis

In 2025, Netanyahu saved his coalition but stalled on Gaza, Iran, Lebanon

With 2025 ending, Israelis are frustrated over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to fully end the Gaza war, solve the Hezbollah problem, reach a deal with Syria or find a way to constructively impact talks on the Iranian nuclear program.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Saeed Jaras / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Facing Israeli pushback, Turkey recalibrates public messaging on Gaza force

Turkey’s top diplomat has suggested that being part of the Gaza stabilization force is not Ankara’s priority.

Latest News

Qatar’s prime minister meets US officials as Gaza plan stalls

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) shakes hands with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the State Department in Washington, on Dec. 17, 2025.

Over 600 Israeli ex-security chiefs urge Trump to disarm Hamas, back PA in Gaza

President Donald Trump speaks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Oct. 13, 2025 in Jerusalem.

Analysis

Stunt or recalibration? Israel's Raam to break with Muslim Brotherhood

Head of Israel's Raam, Mansour Abbas, speaks at his campaign headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Tamra before national election polls close, on Nov. 1, 2022

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Analysis

How the Trump administration reshaped US diplomacy toward Hamas

Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner (L), White House special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a meeting between President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (not pictured) at a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh, Oct. 13, 2025.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Israel’s paring of Palestinian tax funds hampers PA budget preparation

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the 2020 budget will go back to being a regular one; the PA operated on an emergency budget last year after Israel cut the PA's tax funds.

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti attends a deliberation at Jerusalem Magistrate's court January 25, 2012. Convicted of murder for his role in attacks on Israelis, Barghouti was jailed for life by Israel in 2004. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) - GM1E81P1AKC01

Why Hamas insists on release of jailed Fatah leader

Israel has refused the conditions set by Hamas for a future prisoner exchange deal, which include the release of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.

Ottoman archives help Palestinians reclaim their land

The Palestinian Authority is heavily relying on Ottoman archives to prove ownership of thousands of dunams of lands claimed by Israel in the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the funeral of former senior Fatah official Ahmed Abdel Rahman, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RC2BOD99XX4O

Abbas mulls option of postponing Palestinian elections

Al-Monitor has learned that President Mahmoud Abbas is getting ready to postpone the Palestinian general elections under the pretext of Israel’s yet to be announced reponse to a request to allow Palestinians in Jerusalem to vote.

Palestinian Hamas militants take part in an anti-Israel military show in the southern Gaza Strip November 11, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC2Z8D99U0S8

Can Israel, Hamas keep it calm after US killing of Soleimani?

For Israel, the return of deterrence is tainted with the possibility of a nightmare scenario.

Small West Bank school holds firm despite settler attacks

To get an education, the students in Yanoun, a Palestinian village near Nablus, must deal with attacks by Israeli settlers on the way to school and even in their homes.

Hamas must choose: Egypt or Iran?

Angered that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh broke an agreement not to visit Iran, Egypt will make Hamas understand that it must choose sides and break with Iran if the movement hopes to survive.

Palestinian supporters of the Hamas mouvement attend a rally calling for the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state, in Gaza City on January 3, 2020. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)

Hamas unfazed by Israel warnings

As Israel is making economic concessions in the Gaza Strip, sporadic rockets continue to be launched from the enclave, prompting Israel to threaten to end all concessions.

A truck carrying fruits arrives at Kerem Shalom crossing after it was reopened by Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC1B927E40E0

Is Israel dangling economic carrot to lead Hamas to a truce?

Israel has allowed Gaza to import and export previously banned goods for the first time in 13 years, and some have interpreted the move as part of an effort to entice Hamas into a truce.

Palestinians wary of ICC call for probe into Israeli war crimes

Palestinians received with skepticism the announcement by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor that an investigation should be launched to document war crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, while some believe it could herald change if it is followed by concrete actions.

Multibillion-dollar lawsuit in Israel against Arab Bank

Israeli casualties of terrorism sue the Jordan-based Arab Bank over its alleged assistance to terror groups.

Hamas bets on Palestinians abroad to influence PNC elections

Hamas has recently stepped up its visits to Palestinian camps abroad, raising questions about the purpose of these visits in light of preparations for Palestinian general elections.