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Palestine

May 12, 2026

Ramallah 12:48 pm

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Two men stand next to the burned remains of a Palestinian vehicle in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Susya village in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 1, 2026.

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.

An elections employee tapes a poster with instructions to voters ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 21, 2026.

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.

Rasha Abou Jalal

By Rasha Abou Jalal

In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Women read instructions to voters ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 21, 2026.

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.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

Olmert

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Al-Monitor that Israel will only be able to defang Hezbollah if it reaches an agreement with the Lebanese government.

Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert

Former Israeli prime minister

Latest News

Meloni suspends Italy's military cooperation agreement with Israel

Meloni

'Apartheid': Arab countries including UAE, Jordan decry new Israeli law

MOJAHID NAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Settler violence spike exposes Israeli government rift with military

Israeli settler violence graffiti

Wartime closures at Jerusalem holy sites raise fears of lasting shift among Palestinians

Muslim worshippers break their fast outside the old city walls of Jerusalem on March 17, 2026, as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound remains closed.

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

Hamas Gaza Chief Yehya Al-Sinwar (C) and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (L) take part in the funeral of senior militant Mazen Fuqaha in Gaza City March 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RTX32NQR

Will Hamas respond to leader's assassination?

Hamas is still considering its options on how to respond to the assassination of its military leader, Mazen Faqha, which was blamed on Israel.

Palestinian storyteller brings fresh vision to ancient tradition

Although storytelling is normally reserved for the elderly, a young Palestinian man is reviving Palestinian heritage through folktales and organizing tours to archaeological sites.

Yehuda Glick, an activist of the "temple mount faithful" group, poses for a photo in Jerusalem June 30, 2011. Glick was shot and severely wounded in Jerusalem on October 29, 2014 as he left a conference promoting a Jewish campaign to permit praying at a compound in the Old City that that has become a flashpoint as both Jews and Muslims regard it as a holy site, Israeli officials said. Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian on Thursday after he fired at them resisting arrest in East Jerusalem hours after the

Why this Likud MK presents unique challenge to Netanyahu

Knesset member Yehuda Glick advocates for the right of Jews to pray at the Temple Mount, but at the same time he champions liberal values such as freedom of the press.

Documentary sews Palestinian narrative through women's eyes

“Stitching Palestine,” a documentary film, adopts a motif of traditional Palestinian embroidery to focus on the lives of 12 Palestinian women who are all living in exile, and what Palestine means to them.

How Palestinian female inmates are getting a second chance

The General Directorate for Correction and Rehabilitation Centers in the Gaza Strip held a two-day exhibition to display and sell handicrafts and handmade products made by female inmates.

A Palestinian woman walks next to a banner that reads "Thanks and gratitude to Iran" in Gaza City November 27, 2012. Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar showed how fragile the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians remained, with defiant remarks to reporters recently of how the Islamists would go on smuggling in weapons "by all possible means", including via Israel's arch-foe Iran. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3AXK0

Why Palestinians have lost faith in Iran

A recent survey showed that the majority of Palestinians are opposed to Iran and its policies in the region despite Tehran's support for the Palestinian cause.

Could an offshore seaport be Gaza's salvation?

Israeli Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz continues to promote his idea of an artificial island and port off the Gaza coast and recently pitched it to President Donald Trump’s envoy.

U.S. President Donald Trump waits to welcome Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX33FJG

Trump's envoy pushing two-state solution as Abbas' US visit nears

US President Donald Trump's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been vague so far, but initial signs indicate that an attempt at an Israeli-Palestinian deal is not out of the question.

How Palestinians plan to overcome electricty shortages

The Palestinian government is establishing a "new electricity market" that will draw power from various sources but will be supervised by a government-owned company.

How Israel's culture minister threatens national film industry, democracy

Culture Minister Miri Regev is examining state funding of Israeli films with the intention of withholding support to productions she considers anti-Israeli.

An Israeli prison guard escorts jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti (C) to 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/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) - RTR2WTIC

Fatah’s Barghouti pushes hunger strike for 3,500 prisoners

Imprisoned Fatah senior leader Marwan Barghouti calls for the group’s prisoners in Israel to start a hunger strike over imprisonment conditions.

Bedouin Palestinian schoolchildren attend a lesson inside a classroom at their school in al-Khan al-Ahmar village near the West Bank city of Jericho February 23, 2017. REUTERS/ Ammar Awad - RTSZZHG

Palestinian teachers seize golden opportunity in Kuwait

Kuwait’s call to hire Palestinian teachers in its schools lifted the hopes of 1,173 Palestinians who are seeking an opportunity to secure decent pay for the future.