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Palestine

May 12, 2026

Ramallah 10:00 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

Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, is carried by Palestinians upon their entry into the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount after Israel removed all security measures it had installed at the compound, in Jerusalem's Old City July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Muammar Awad - RTX3D5A8

Religious, not political leaders guided Jerusalem through Aqsa crisis

Respected religious authorities dominated the protest movement and did much of the organizing during the past few weeks of crisis at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Schiefelbein/Pool - RTX3BWOV

How Abbas' spite for Dahlan could reconcile Fatah, Hamas

At a meeting in Ramallah, Hamas offered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas seats on Gaza’s Supreme Civil Council, and Abbas just might accept.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers remarks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem May 23, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX375K5

Abbas' last stand

Israel is punishing Palestinian Authority officials in the hope that they will exert sufficient pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to renew security coordination with Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, not shown, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Schiefelbein/Pool - RTX3BWOG

Palestinians warn Abbas could dismantle PA in 2018

Palestinians warn that President Mahmoud Abbas might decide at the beginning of 2018 to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and cancel the Oslo Accord.

A Palestinian girl drinks water from a public tap in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip January 24, 2017. Picture taken January 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RTSXG9O

How long can Gaza survive with no water?

A water shortage has led citizens to dig expensive water wells to meet their basic needs despite the dangerous impact of over-extraction on the Gaza Strip aquifer.

Zaka emergency personnel clean a bloodstain from the ground at the scene of a Palestinian stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel November 19, 2015. REUTERS/Nir Elias - RTS7YAW

Congress moves bill cutting Palestinian aid over ‘martyr’ stipends

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 17-4 for the Taylor Force Act after modifications were made to get Democrats on board.

Demonstrators including Israeli and Palestinian activists take part in a demonstration in support of peace near the West Bank city of Jericho October 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTX2PI50

Most Israelis, Palestinians are tired of fighting

Israeli right-wing legislators do all they can to keep the two-state solution at a distance, yet a majority of Israelis still support it.

Palestinians take part in a protest against Israel's new security measures at the entrance to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, in Gaza City July 21, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RTX3CDUH

Where do Al-Aqsa protests leave the Islamic Movement in Israel?

The Islamic Movement in Israel has tried to keep a low profile in recent weeks after three men connected to its base, Umm al-Fahm, killed two Israeli police officers, sparking deadly protests.

UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1903: Turkish residents of Nazareth playing checkers and smoking narghiles (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Archives belie Israel's narrative of Palestinian conflict

Early members of the Zionist movement and later Israelis have consistently attempted to control the narrative of the conflict with the Palestinians, including by seizing photographic evidence of Palestine and the Palestinians' history.

Feature film to mark new beginnings for Gaza cinema

The Gaza Strip's closed movie theaters will reopen at the end of the summer for the first feature film made by a local company.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTS19PQE

Netanyahu’s legacy: Dividing Jews and uniting Arabs

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling in the recent Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif crisis threatens to turn the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a nationalist struggle into a religious conflagration.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 31, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RTS19V60

Trump’s plan for Mideast peace fades

Israelis and Palestinians both feel that President Donald Trump and his administration have abandoned his ambitious peace initiative with his focus more on internal affairs.