Newsletter: Palestine Palestine elections chief: Vote ‘transparent’ despite war, restrictions In an exclusive interview, Rami Hamdallah defended the transparency of recent Palestinian local elections while outlining the political and logistical barriers to voting in Gaza and East Jerusalem. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know European foreign ministers have agreed to sanction extremist West Bank settlers, but are still discussing the list of names. Israel
Feature Gazans show cautious hope ahead of first local elections in 20 years The city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza is set to hold municipal elections for the first time in nearly two decades. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Analysis On eve of Palestinian local elections, competition in short supply With many races unopposed and rivals excluded, the vote underscores a calibrated effort to contain dissent and prioritize stability. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Interview Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable' Ehud Olmert Former Israeli prime minister
Are Hamas, Egypt nearing reconciliation? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri spoke about the improvements in Hamas-Egyptian ties and other Palestinian issues. Palestine
How one Jerusalem neighborhood has been left to fend for itself The Jerusalem neighborhood Kufr Aqab has become no-man’s-land, as Israelis who have sovereignty do not provide services to its residents and the Palestinian Authority is not allowed to enter the area. Palestine
IDF warns of escalating pressure in Gaza IDF officers are concerned that poverty, unemployment and an internal power struggle within Hamas might push the movement into a new military conflict with Israel. Palestine
Ancient Gaza monastery gets second life as children’s library The Khodr Monastery, which dates back to the Byzantine period, is being restored into a children’s library. Palestine
Is new Gaza war more probable with Liberman? With Avigdor Liberman joining the Netanyahu government, Palestinians feel desperate about a breakthrough in the political stalemate between the PA and Israel and anticipate a military escalation in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Claiming lack of building permits, Israel continues to demolish Palestinian homes While refusing to grant Palestinians building permits, the Israeli authorities have recently intensified their demolition operations targeting Palestinian homes, justifying their actions by claiming that these homes were built without permits. Palestine
Palestinians get ready for hard-line Liberman as defense minister The appointment of ultranationalist Avigdor Liberman as Israel's defense minister sparked outrage among Palestinians, who already regard President Benjamin Netanyahu's government as one of the most extreme in Israel’s history. Palestine
Why confederation with Palestine is suddenly a hot issue in Amman Discussion of a possible Palestinian-Jordanian confederation is testing the public mood in Jordan and the West Bank as President Mahmoud Abbas' popularity dips further. Palestine
Hamas to execute 13 Gazan criminals as warning to others A crime wave in Gaza is putting pressure on Hamas, which has promised to execute 13 Palestinians sentenced to death as a deterrent. Palestine
Why this Israeli rights organization will stop submitting complaints to army Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem has decided it will no longer submit complaints to the Israeli army regarding human rights violations by its soldiers. Palestine
Will Palestinian-Jordanian confederation see the light? In light of the stalled peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel, Palestinians are seriously considering the Palestinian-Jordanian confederation option as the only way out of their impasse. Palestine
Can a Cairo conference launch regional peace talks? While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are discussing a Cairo regional conference, experts are presenting a security plan, based on the one elaborated by Gen. John Allen. Palestine
