Palestine - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Palestine cover image

Palestine

May 12, 2026

Ramallah 11:39 pm

24°C

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

Palestinian employees of the former Hamas government queue up outside a post office in Gaza City on October 29, 2014 to receive 1,200 US dollars each, which is part of their wages that has been delayed for months. The Palestinian national unity government headed by prime minister Rami Hamdallah sent the previous day roughly 30 million dollars by car across the Erez border crossing from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip to pay 24,000 former employees. AFP PHOTO / MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MA

What EU shift in financial support policy means for Gaza

The European Union contribution of 30 million euros to pay the salaries of Palestinian Authority civil servants in the Gaza Strip will be used to support families in need, which has angered Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves the White House after a meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTSYUPM

3 alternatives to two-state or one-state solution for Mideast peace

Ever since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had his meeting in Washington, Israeli efforts have intensified to develop alternatives to the single-state or two-state solutions.

TOPSHOT - Members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, attend a memorial in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on January 31, 2017, for Mohamed Zouari, a 49-year-old Tunisian engineer and drone expert, who was murdered at the wheel of his car outside his house in Tunisia in December 2016.
The armed wing of Hamas said that the Jewish state was responsible for the murder in eastern Tunisia, of Mohamed Zaouari, described as a leader of the Islami

Has the military wing tightened its grip over Hamas?

The election of military leader Yahya Sanwar as the head of Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza has raised questions on the movement’s policy at home and abroad and the military wing’s grip over the movement.

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti attends 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/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) - RTR2WTIQ

New documentary highlights life of imprisoned Palestinian leader

The producers of "Marwan," a documentary about the life of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, hope to revive national pride among Palestinians with his story.

A Palestinian girl looks at wedding dresses at a shop in Gaza City on April 5, 2016.
In the coastal Palestinian enclave, where youth unemployment is over 60 percent and 80 percent of the 1.8 million residents depend on humanitarian aid, marriage is a luxury.

/ AFP / MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

What can memorizing the Quran buy you in Gaza?

Gazans who have memorized the Quran can have their weddings paid for through a new, controversial program in Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures during Fatah congress in the West Bank city of Ramallah November 30, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTSU1Z2

Who benefits from the appointment of Abbas’ deputy?

Following the choice of Mahmoud al-Aloul as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' deputy, a disappointed Jibril Rajoub might reunite forces with Abbas’ rival Mohammed Dahlan.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks from the lectern as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lingers behind at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSYU3B

Trump leaves Israelis, Palestinians to own fate

After the first meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, Israeli leaders are confused about the future of the peace process.

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSYU9T

How Palestinians plan to proceed after Trump-Netanyahu meeting

Despite their disappointment over the declarations by US President Donald Trump after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Palestinians vow to continue their diplomatic efforts.

A Palestinian man watches a joint press conference by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a coffee shop in the West Bank city of Hebron February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma - RTSYU7C

Why Arab leaders cannot replace legitimate Palestinian ones

The Trump-Netanyahu love fest that was broadcast around the world doesn’t bode well for Palestinians or for any possible peaceful breakthrough.

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSYUDS

Palestinians work for Abbas-Trump meeting next

After positive meetings with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the Palestinian leadership believes it is in the interest of President Donald Trump to also hear the Palestinian side of the story.

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) laughs with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSYUD8

Trump and Netanyahu's White House vanity fair

Israel and the Palestinians need a determined and well-informed US president who can promote the establishment of a Palestinian state while normalizing Israel’s relations with Arab countries, not the other way around.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 15: U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) (R) speaks as Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) (L) listens during a press availability after a House Democratic Caucus meeting January 15, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Democratic members briefed the media on the Democratic legislative agenda for the 113th Congress, including the Disaster Relief Appropriations for victims of superstorm Sandy and tougher gun control measures. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty I

Jewish lawmakers rip Trump over two-state walkback

Jewish Democrats warn that the Israeli right's push for a one-state solution risks endangering bipartisan support for the Jewish state.