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

Palestine cover image

Palestine

September 8, 2026

Ramallah 9:14 am

25°C

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

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

After a West Bank stabbing of an Israeli settler, Defense Minister Israel Katz warns the Palestinian Authority against launching an “Oct. 7-style” assault.

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

Analysis

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

The German navy tested Israel’s LORA ballistic missile as Berlin considers acquiring the system, deepening defense ties with Israel despite criticism of the Gaza war.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

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.

Analysis

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

President Donald Trump has stayed silent amid a spate of settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Evan Vucci / Getty Images

Analysis

Why Palestinians see success of Trump talks as contingent on Israeli elections

Some view the channel to Jared Kushner as necessary for reaching a political settlement, but others see a US effort to secure Palestinian acquiescence to Trump’s Gaza plans.

Mohammed Najib

By Mohammed Najib

Latest News

Israel, Hamas bide their time as Gaza peace plan stalls

A boy walks carrying a table on his back past salvage workers scrapping the rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza City on Aug. 16, 2026. — Photo by Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP via Getty Images

Ex-defense minister: Israel in ‘worst possible’ Gaza situation as Hamas gains strength

Palestinian militant group Hamas police officers stand guard as people attend the opening of the Fatah party's eighth general conference at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City on May 14, 2026.

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

A poster of Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub with Argentina's soccer player Lionel Messi is seen during Rajoub's news conference, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank June 6, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RC13B03D01D0

Israeli soccer fans divided over who's to blame for canceled match

Israelis blame anyone they can for the cancellation of Argentina’s national soccer team and its star Lionel Messi’s visit to Israel: the Palestinians, BDS, Minister of Sports Miri Regev.

Gaza crisis threatens to set West Bank ablaze

While the demonstrations along the Gaza border fence continue, the number of casualties will grow, sparking ever larger protests in the West Bank.

Medical shortages threaten lives of Gaza’s wounded

With shortages of medication, supplies and beds, hospitals in the Gaza Strip are unable to provide those wounded in the Great Return March protests with necessary treatment.

Israel to withhold PA tax funds to compensate victims of kite attacks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to deduct money from Palestinian tax revenues to compensate the Israeli victims of kite-borne arson along the Gaza border.

Knesset blocks bill to deem Israel 'state for all its citizens'

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein rejected this week a law proposal presented by the Arab Joint List redefining Israel as the state of all its citizens.

Why US recognition of Golan Heights annexation would hurt Israel

The US-backed campaign for recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights could become a real obstacle on the way to peace with Syria.

Palestinian Hamas militants attend a military drill in preparation to any upcoming confrontation with Israel, in the southern Gaza Strip March 25, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC1B884125E0

PA worried by potential Hamas-Israel truce

The Palestinian Authority fears the proposed long-term truce between Hamas and Israel under the pretext of the humanitarian crisis would lead to separating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, and then to passing "the deal of the century."

Despite advancing technology, IDF faces dilemma on Gaza border

Israel successfully intercepts rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, but fails in addressing the threat of incendiary kites launched by Hamas activists.

Director of Palestinian General Intelligence in the West Bank Majid Faraj is seen in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 3, 2016. / AFP / AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

US, Palestinian political fallout hasn't hampered security ties

Despite political estrangement between the Palestinian Authority and the United States over Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, security coordination continues between the two sides.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C) chairs a Palestinian National Council meeting in Ramallah on April 30, 2018. - Abbas called today for Palestinians to keep their children from protests along the border between Israel and Gaza, warning of a "handicapped" generation. "Keep the young men from the border, move the children away, we do not want to become handicapped people," he said in a speech in the West Bank city of Ramallah, while supporting what he called "peaceful" protests. (Photo by ABBAS MOMANI /

Can Palestine be transformed into investment hub?

Foreign investments in Palestine accounted in 2017 for $1.5 billion, mostly in the tourism and banking sectors, with Palestine offering a range of encouraging incentives.

Netanyahu wants Abbas to pay for Gaza kite arson

Instead of punishing Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to punish Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for Gaza fire kites.

Will Israel annex the Jordan Valley?

Instead of entertaining his fantasies about settlement blocs in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, President Donald Trump should try to bring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu down to earth to an agreement on two states for two people.