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May 12, 2026

Ramallah 4:44 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

EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Yahya Sinwar (C-R), the new leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and senior political leaders of the Islamist movement, Ismail Haniyeh (C-L) and Rawhi Moshtaha (L-2) attend the funeral of Hamas official, Mazen Faqha in Gaza city on March 25, 2017.
Gunmen in the Gaza Strip had shot dead the Hamas official on March 24, 2017, according to Iyad al-Bozum, an interior ministry spokesman in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Faqha had been released by Israel six years earlier in the 2011 pris

Will Hamas respond to assassination of military leader?

Hamas is blaming Israel for the killing of military commander Mazen Faqha but is waiting on a commission of inquiry before announcing any response.

The restored Edicule is seen during a ceremony marking the end of restoration work on the site of Jesus's tomb, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem's Old City March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Sebastian Scheiner/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX324T0

Jesus' tomb in Jerusalem opens after monthslong renovation

The restoration works of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were completed earlier this week, thanks to an agreement between the three main churches in Jerusalem.

Muslim family holds the key to Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Al-Ghodayya family in Jerusalem has been entrusted with the key to the Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and they consider it an honor to protect Christians’ holiest monument.

A truck loaded with goods enters the Gaza Strip from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing on October 12, 2014, in Rafah in southern Gaza. Some 50 countries are attending a Gaza Donor Conference in Egypt, with Palestinians hoping for $4 billion in global pledges, despite wariness from donors that without a full peace treaty with Israel they may just be pouring money down the drain. AFP PHOTO / SAID KHATIB (Photo credit should read SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images)

Imminent anti-monopoly move angers some Gaza traders

Gaza's Ministry of National Economy will abolish exclusive commercial import licenses effective April 1.

Jason Greenblatt (L), U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Ministerís Office in Jerusalem March 13, 2017. Picture taken March 13, 2017. Courtesy Matty Stern/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY - RTX319TT

Trump’s envoy surprises Israelis, Palestinians

While the Israeli side was disappointed by the US demands to curb settlement construction, the Palestinian side was pleasantly surprised by the approach of President Donald Trump’s envoy Jason Greenblatt.

Benzion Gopshtein (L), leader of the far-right Israeli group Lehava, gathers with fellow activists in Jerusalem December 25, 2014. A far-right Israeli group that agitates against Arabs in the name of religion and national security is forcing the Jewish state into a legal and political balancing act as it tries to contain sectarian violence. The authorities are under pressure to deal with anyone encouraging Jewish retaliation against Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. Efforts to tackle Lehava, however, may be

Anti-racism coalition claims Israeli extreme-right groups getting state funds

A report by the Israeli Tag-Meir group argues that extreme-right groups that incite hate and violence are receiving state funds both directly and indirectly.

Members of Gaza Circus practice juggling with clubs and rings in a garage in the northern Gaza Strip April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTX2AI05

Gaza circus schools juggle raising funds, training children

Two young men from the Gaza Strip established their own circus schools to teach children and amateurs the art of circus, as a way to express themselves under siege.

A Palestinian man casts his ballot for municipal elections at a polling station in the West Bank village of Shiyoukh, north of Hebron October 20, 2012. Palestinians voted in local elections in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Saturday, their first vote for six years and one with little choice, out of step with democratic revolutions elsewhere in the Arab world. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: ELECTIONS POLITICS) - RTR39D2U

Why did PFLP suspend participation in local elections?

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine suspended participation in local elections in response to the Palestinian Authority’s security practices and general policies, which are unlikely to affect the Democratic Alliance List’s decision.

Visitors enter Shiloah Pool, part of an archaeological site known as a the City of David, still an active dig and also a tourist attraction, situated close to Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood next to Jerusalem's Old City June 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTX2J0X4

What does it mean to be a Jerusalemite?

While Israel's Supreme Court recognized Palestinians' continued "resident-native" affiliation to Jerusalem after extended absences, Israel Prize judges gave this year’s award to a person who has dedicated his life to replacing Palestinian residents with Jews.

Hamas leaders (top) join hands as they take part in a rally marking the 28th anniversary of Hamas' founding, in Gaza City December 14, 2015. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem - RTX1YLNB

Is Hamas prepping for a 'State of Gaza'?

Hamas’ announcement of the formation of an administrative committee to manage Gaza's governmental affairs has some wondering if it is paving the way for dissociating Gaza from the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China March 21, 2017. REUTERS/Etienne Oliveau/Pool *** Local Caption *** Xi Jinping;Benjamin Netanyahu - RTX31YRF

Why Netanyahu won’t attend this year's AIPAC conference

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is afraid that US President Donald Trump is determined to close "the ultimate deal" between Israel and the Palestinians, and that he will not let anyone stand in his way to such a deal.

Palestinians take part in a rally marking the 29th anniversary of the founding of the Hamas movement, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTX2UIYS

How did humanitarian funds end up in Hamas' pockets?

Israeli authorities are accusing Hamas of stealing funds from humanitarian organizations working in the Gaza Strip, but any action to stop the embezzlement could harm the Gaza population the aid is intended for.