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Palestine

July 28, 2026

Ramallah 2:40 am

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Culture

How Argentina-Spain World Cup final became debate over Israel, Palestine

Governments and fans alike have turned teams and players into symbols of political division.

Government Media Office Director Ismail Thawabteh (R) and Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem (L) speak at a press conference.

Explainer

What does Hamas' move to dissolve its Gaza government mean?

Hamas has agreed to hand civilian administration over to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, but the committee is not yet in Gaza and may not deploy until Hamas’ disarmament is resolved.

Joint List Party leader Ayman Odeh attends a meeting on April 5, 2021 in Jerusalem, Israel.

Interview

Ayman Odeh says Arab parties could back Bennett or Eisenkot to block Netanyahu

In an interview with Al-Monitor, head of the Arab-Israeli Hadash-Ta'al Knesset faction, Ayman Odeh, said his party is prepared to make difficult decisions to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

Ayman Odeh

Head of the Knesset's Hadash-Ta'al faction

Latest News

Who is Melat Kiros, the pro-Palestinian who unseated a longtime Democrat?

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Amnesty International accuses Israel of state-led ethnic cleansing in West Bank

Israeli security forces attempt to disperse Palestinians who had gathered to protest the reported burning of land by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian village of Idna, west of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on June 5, 2026.

Ireland bans hard-line Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir, Smotrich: What to know

Israeli policemen surround Israeli Minister of National Security and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir as he arrives outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Record Israeli arms exports highlight global rush for air defense

People stand in front of the Arrow 3 shield system during an event of the German Air Force to declare the Initial Operating Capability for the Arrow Weapon System for Germany at the Annaburger Heide Air Base in Schoenewalde / Holzdorf, eastern Germany, on Dec. 3, 2025.

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Daoud Kuttab

Palestine Columnist

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

Rasha Abou Jalal

In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Abeer Ayyoub

In Istanbul, reporting on Palestine

Naima Morelli

In Rome, reporting on Middle East culture

Fatima AbdulKarim

In Ramallah, reporting on the West Bank

Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks about Israel's seizure of a Gaza-bound aid ship, during Friday prayers at al-Omari mosque in Gaza City June 4, 2010. Israeli marines stormed the Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza on Monday and at least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed, triggering a diplomatic crisis and an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR2ER1A

Fatah, Hamas battle for control of mosques

Fatah is tightly controlling mosques in the West Bank, claiming to shield them from political interference, but its adversaries accuse it of using mosques for its own political purposes.

Senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk (R) hugs senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar in Gaza City April 21, 2014. Abu Marzouk arrived at the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Monday to take part in unity talks with rival Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas, which are planned for Tuesday, Hamas officials said. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3M230

Senior Hamas leader discusses Iran, Syria, Palestinian politics

Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar tells Al-Monitor’s Palestine Pulse that Hamas is "ready at any moment" to resume reconciliation talks with Fatah.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L), is greeted by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, during their meeting at the Palestinian Ambassador?s Residence in Amman, Jordan March 26, 2014. Kerry interrupted his Europe trip in an effort to salvage the Middle East peace talks as a breakdown looms. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3IPUV

Abbas proposes discussing borders of future state

The Palestinian formula for the resumption of talks with Israel includes discussion of borders issue, which is not only the aim of negotiations but also the only way to sell renewed talks to the Palestinian public.

Employees work on computers at Exalt Technologies, a company which deals in research and development outsourcing from Cisco and French-American group Lucent-Alcatel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah April 7, 2013. Fledgling Palestinian high-tech firms hope they can now help revitalise the economy, making the West Bank more resistant to Israeli controls on land and the movement of goods and people and less dependent on fickle foreign aid flows, which are blighting the public sector. Picture taken April 7,

Gaza IT industry bypasses economic crisis

Despite the high unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip, IT freelancing and outsourcing to foreign companies is insulating the industry from the siege and economic crisis.

Meretz leader justifies Abbas applications to UN treaties

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Meretz Party leader Zehava Gal-On defends the application of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to 15 international treaties, claiming that this move could constitute a framework for continuing negotiations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Moscow's Kremlin November 20, 2013. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15LV1

Israel takes strategic alliance with US for granted

Israel’s neutrality toward the crisis in Ukraine is a dangerous precedent in Israel's relations with the US, when taking into account that it can exist without Russia’s help, but not without American support.

Palestinians enjoy the warm weather on a Gaza City beach June 24, 2011. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT) - RTR2O26S

Gaza’s population balloons

With an average 5.7 births for each woman, Gaza’s government has no plans to curtail population growth.

Israeli soldiers check their weapons at a staging near the West Bank city of Hebron April 15, 2014. An Israeli man was killed in a shooting attack on a civilian car near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover, military sources said.
REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3LCE0

Lone-wolf attacks on Israeli settlers increase

Individual, unorganized Palestinian attacks against Israeli settlers are difficult to prevent and reflect a frustrated Palestinian street.

A mounted-Israeli policeman (R) guards near Palestinians, some stone-throwing protesters, during clashes at a house demolition in the mostly Arab neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem January 28, 2013. Israeli police spokesman said five Palestinians were arrested at the scene of a house demolition in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood after they threw stones at Israeli policemen who were present at the scene to prevent disturbances during the demolition of the unauthorized structure. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JE

Planned construction encroaches on Temple Mount, Western Wall

Palestinians have not reacted to the wave of plans approved lately by Jerusalem's planning committee to build rabbinical colleges and a Jewish visitor center at the heart of East Jerusalem.

Palestinians are seen through a car window which Hamas police said was damaged in an Israeli strike on a workshop in the northern Gaza Strip April 4, 2014. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3JW08

Hamas in overdrive to restore regional ties

Hamas is pursuing a policy of neutrality while it reaches out to regional capitals to end its crippling isolation.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas waves as he arrives to a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank city of Ramallah March 31, 2014. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke from his travel schedule for the second time in a week and rushed back to the Middle East on Monday to try to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. A major stumbling block is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand that Abbas explicitly recognise Israel as a Jewish state. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BAN

Palestinians should consider halt to diplomacy

The Palestinians should heed the suggestion of a group of distinguished Americans and halt diplomacy with Israel until it complies with international law.

Israeli social media analyst: 'no desire for a violent intifada'

In an interview with Al-Monitor, social media analyst on trends in the Arab world Orit Perlov claims that Israelis often depict a black and white picture of their neighbors, unaware of the complexity of their society.