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Palestine

May 12, 2026

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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

How Palestine is working to stop antiquities theft

Thousands of artifacts that were smuggled outside the Palestinian territories have been seized in the past years as part of the Palestinian government’s efforts to put a stop to illegal excavations and antiquities trade.

Palestinian men stand outside the gates of the al-Aqsa University built on what formerly was the Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim, close to Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on August 11, 2015. Following the departure of the last Jewish settlers from Gaza in August 2005, the Israeli army demolished houses and dismantled its equipment before formally handing over the land to the Palestinian Authority. AFP PHOTO/ SAID KHATIB (Photo credit should read SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images)

Agreement averts financial crisis at Gaza's Al-Aqsa University

The ministries of education in Gaza and the West Bank reached an agreement to end the standoff at Al-Aqsa University over administrative appointments, which had put the education of thousands of students in jeopardy.

How this mentoring program is empowering young Arab women

The Big Sister/Little Sister guidance program launched in the Gaza Strip and Beirut helps young girls talk about social issues and empowers them to overcome harsh societal challenges in their lives.

Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah security chief, gestures in his office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates October 18, 2016. Picture taken October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer - RTX2QI8I

Dismissed Fatah leader rules out reconciliation with Abbas

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Mohammed Dahlan confirmed that reconciliation efforts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are currently stalled and warned that Abbas' internal weakness would reflect the fragility of his political position vis-a-vis the Israelis.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 3, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX33W8K

Trump welcomes Egypt’s Sisi 'as is'

US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seem to hit it off at the White House, but will Trump come through on the funding Sisi wants?

TOPSHOT - Yahya Sinwar (2nd R), the new leader of the Hamas Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip and senior political leader Ismail Haniyeh (L) sit next to the son of Mazen Faqha, a Hamas leader who was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the Gaza Strip, during a memorial on March 27, 2017 in Gaza City.
Hamas officials have said the killing bears the hallmarks of Israel's intelligence service Mossad, but Israel has not commented on the shooting. / AFP PHOTO / MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD

Hamas factions quarrel over vengeance for commander's death

Outgoing Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has vowed to avenge the killing of military leader Mazen Faqha; this may provoke Hamas into another round of violent conflict with Israel.

(front R-L) Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz pose for a group photograph during the 28t

Ineptitude meets low altitude at Arab League summit

Few major breakthroughs were reached at this year's Arab League Summit held in Jordan.

Can Netanyahu outmaneuver Trump?

The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit settlement construction is an attempt to make President Donald Trump think that any failure to reach a peace deal is the Palestinians' fault.

Palestine tops Arab League agenda at Jordan summit

Palestinian leaders have expressed happiness that their concerns were addressed at the Arab League summit, though the annual meeting has done little to convince the world of Arab resolve on any one issue.

A Palestinian walks through flood water following heavy rain in a neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip February 16, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RTSYYR8

Palestinian task force seeks to improve disaster management

The Palestinian Cabinet has formed the National Disaster Risk Management Committee to study and better prepare for national disasters.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shake hands after a statement in Berlin, Germany, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski - RTX32ITH

Will EU take the lead on two-state solution?

The European Union is developing a new Middle East policy, which will not depend on the Trump administration.

PA, Jordan compete for aid at Arab League Summit

Both the Palestinian and Jordanian governments took advantage of the Arab League Summit in Amman to present their cases for why they deserve more financial aid from the rich Gulf countries.