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Palestine

September 25, 2026

Ramallah 2:46 pm

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron arrive to hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem, Oct. 24, 2023.

Analysis

After France's settlement ban, Israel sees no warming of ties with Macron government

Israeli diplomats say France’s decision to ban imports from West Bank settlements has brought bilateral relations to an unprecedented low point.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Jewish settlement of Kedumim, in the West Bank

Analysis

Europe’s West Bank trade ban fires warning shot at Israel’s economy

Weeks before key Israeli elections, a dozen nations announced new trade restrictions targeting settlements in the West Bank, delivering a sharp rebuke to Israel's government that could presage additional international pressure.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Chaim Goldberg / AFP via Getty Images

Netanyahu threatens to sue Haaretz for reporting UAE warned Israel of Oct. 7 attack

The Emirati president reportedly warned that a planned attack could cause bloodshed, destabilize the region and threaten the Abraham Accords.

Palestinians hold up the green Hamas flag during a protest by supporters of both the Fatah and Hamas movements, as they rally in support of the Palestinian people following Friday noon prayers in Hebron, occupied West Bank, Nov. 3, 2023.

Majority of Palestinians lose trust in Hamas and Fatah, new poll finds

A recent poll by a Palestinian survey center found that trust in Palestinian factions has declined, amid stalled efforts to implement the Gaza peace plan and escalating settler violence in the West Bank.

Latest News

12 countries including France, UK, Canada end trade with West Bank settlements

West Bank settlements

Katz warns PA against 'Oct. 7-style' attack as West Bank violence rises

Israeli soldiers take positions during a military operation in the town of Qalqiya, in the occupied West Bank, Dec. 4, 2025.

Analysis

LORA missile test reveals limits of Germany’s Gaza criticism of Israel

A woman walks past a model of a Lora missile, Israel's long range artillery missile at the Israel defence stall at the international DefExpo 2008 defence fair, in New Delhi on February 16, 2008. India kicked off South Asia's largest defence fair, with hundreds of global weapons firms offering their latest hardware to the country's technology-hungry military. About 450 weapons companies from 30 countries are present at the four-day "DefExpo" in New Delhi, with several big-ticket announcements expected. AFP P

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Analysis

As Israeli settler attacks mount, Trump avoids public pressure on Netanyahu

Israeli soldiers arrive in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has faced escalating Israeli settler violence over the past month, on Aug. 29, 2026.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

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

Whatsapp and Facebook icons are seen on a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone in the central Bosnian town of Zenica, February 20, 2014. Facebook Inc will buy fast-growing mobile-messaging startup WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock in a landmark deal that places the world's largest social network closer to the heart of mobile communications and may bring younger users into the fold. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTX196EE

Gazans use WhatsApp to see what's up with the news

Virtual communication application WhatsApp has taken on a more media-oriented role in the Gaza Strip, whereby media outlets are now using it to send news to subscribers, but there are still things to be improved.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal attends a news conference, during his official visit to Russia, in Moscow February 8, 2010. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR29Z2Y

Is Russia Hamas' bridge to global diplomacy?

Hamas is seeking to improve its international relations by reinforcing some ties and mending others following a period of relative isolation.

Muslim men pray near the al-Ibrahimi mosque, also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in the West Bank city of Hebron during the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan August 5, 2011. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma (WEST BANK - Tags: RELIGION) - RTR2PMYE

How one West Bank mosque is reconnecting with local Palestinians

By encouraging Hebron's Palestinian residents to hold weddings and other celebrations in the Ibrahimi Mosque, officials and activists hope to restore their connection to the sacred site.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C), joins a reading of the Koran prior to a meeting of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee in the West Bank city of Ramallah, August 22, 2015. REUTERS/Majdi Mohammed/Pool - RTX1P89U

Abbas oversteps in moves against 'political sabotage'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appears to have gone too far, upsetting his European Union supporters, in ordering the closure of the Palestinian Peace Coalition, led by Yasser Abed Rabbo, whom Abbas earlier removed as secretary-general of the PLO's Executive Committee.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal talks during a news conference in Doha July 23 ,2014. Meshaal said he was ready to accept a humanitarian truce in Gaza where the Islamist group is fighting an Israeli military offensive, but would not agree to a full ceasefire until the terms had been negotiated. REUTERS/Stringer (QATAR - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3ZVTJ

Hamas caught between Tehran and Riyadh

Hamas is trying to rebuild its relationship with Iran, but mistrust on both sides is impeding the process.

Palestinian youths practice their parkour skills at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City April 27, 2014. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: SOCIETY) - RTR3MTNT

Why are so many young Gazans jumping off roofs?

Despite the dangers, some Gazan youth are finding outlets for their energy by taking up sports like parkour and Okinawan kobudo.

After Israeli settlers left, these Gazans planted more than eggplants

Since Israeli settlers withdrew in 2005 from south Gaza, the Palestinian government allowed investments in these lands that turned into crops that generate considerable profit despite the water crisis.

Gazans lighten up with laughter

In light of the ongoing crises facing the Gaza Strip, some have turned to satire as a way of mitigating their suffering.

Abbas must accept Gaza, West Bank will not unite

A long-term truce between Israel and Hamas could perpetuate Gaza's separation from the West Bank, but that might be the price of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians toward a future comprehensive agreement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during an official ceremony commemorating the Egyptian National Day at the Egyptian Embassy in the West Bank city of Ramallah July 27, 2015. Rumblings in Ramallah in recent weeks have raised expectations that Palestinian politics is in play, with 80-year-old Abbas, in power for more than a decade, facing a mounting challenge to his leadership. There is frequent speculation that Abbas, who was elected to a four-year term in 2005 and has not had to face a vote since

Will Abbas sever ties with Hamas for good?

Tensions between Fatah and Hamas are escalating in light of recent accusations against President Mahmoud Abbas of monopolizing the decision-making process and making one-sided decisions.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) meets Isaac Herzog, leader of Zionist Union party, in the West Bank city of Ramallah August 18, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTX1OMX5

Herzog: Abbas worries about 'losing control' of West Bank

Israeli opposition chair Isaac Herzog told Al-Monitor that he urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to join the reported contacts between Israel and Hamas and work to create a larger package deal with Israel before he leaves politics.

Young Palestinians crawl under an obstacle during a military-style exercise at Liberation Youths summer camp, organised by the Hamas movement, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, August 1, 2015. Hamas stages dozens of military-style summer camps for young Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to prepare them to "confront any possible Israeli attack", organisers said. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX1MOQN

Thousands of teens enroll in Hamas summer camps

Al-Qassam Brigades and Hamas have set up camps across the Gaza Strip where future generations of Palestinians can receive training on the Palestinian cause, the proper use of firearms and fighting Israel.