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Palestine

May 12, 2026

Ramallah 12:10 am

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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

Popular board game in Palestine gets e-makeover

A group of Palestinian programmers transform their childhood game from board to screen to save it from disappearing.

Is Netanyahu's party ready to divide Jerusalem?

Likud Knesset member Anat Berko has developed a plan for the division of Jerusalem to preserve the city’s Jewish majority.

Will Hamas surrender Qassam Brigades to Abbas?

According to a Palestinian security source, there will be no reconciliation with Hamas unless the movement agrees to give up the army it has created in Gaza.

Gaza's beloved gold market glitters with history

Gaza’s historic gold market Suq al-Qaysariyya remains an essential stop for brides-to-be, but fewer Gazans can afford its treasures every day.

Palestinians show off their grapes

The Palestinian agriculture sector aims to improve its grape production and promote it through festivals.

Palestine’s admission to Interpol sparks angry response from Israel

In light of the ongoing US and Israeli stalemate to push peace talks, the Palestinians are taking matters into their own hands and recently joined Interpol.

Hamas promotes ties with Moscow

Hamas’ visit to Moscow raises questions about the movement’s objectives and about Russia’s increased influence in the Middle East and in the Palestinian arena.

Former Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (C), who was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for killing a wounded and incapacitated Palestinian assailant, waits to hear the ruling at an Israeli military appeals court in Tel Aviv, Israel July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Dan Balilty/Pool - RC1DF695EF80

Why IDF chief commuted Hebron shooter's sentence

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot commuted the sentence of Hebron shooter Elor Azaria, not as a sign of pardon but for Israeli society to heal.

Israeli, Palestinian environmentalists aren't waiting on Trump peace plan

While politicians and diplomats rethink their strategies, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict perpetuates pollution of air and water in the region.

24 years after Oslo, Palestinians still bet on US role in peace process

Twenty-four years into the signing of the Oslo Accord, the Palestinian Authority continues to bet that the United States will sponsor the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Gaza activists decry rise in torture within prisons

Rights groups and activists have documented a rise in cases of torture against detainees and prisoners in the Gaza Strip, while the Ministry of Interior says it is launching investigations into the incidents and imposing sanctions.

Palestinians react to opening of first US military base in Israel

The Sept. 18 announcement of the establishment of the first permanent US-Israeli military base in the Negev desert, in southern Israel, is evidence of the strategic military cooperation between the Americans and Israelis.