Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York, on Sept. 19, 2023.

Analysis

What’s at stake for Turkey as Israel heads to the polls?

Israel’s Oct. 27 election could offer a chance to ease tensions with Ankara, but competing ambitions in Syria and beyond threaten to push the two US allies toward a dangerous confrontation.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images

Feature

50,000 Israeli expats fly home to vote in potential boon to Netanyahu rivals

Israel prohibits voting from abroad with limited exceptions, and Israelis who spoke to Al-Monitor said they are especially motivated to fly home this year.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Pedestrians cross a street in front of a banner featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Analysis

How Israel opposition infighting is boosting Netanyahu days before election

Discord within the opposition, including its reluctance to name a single candidate for prime minister ahead of the Oct. 27 election, is working in Netanyahu’s favor.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

In first, Israel’s Netanyahu says he held call with Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa

It is the first publicly disclosed contact between the leaders of Israel and Syria, which lack formal relations and have fought several wars. Sharaa’s government began US-mediated talks with Israel in 2025.

Latest News

Sisi says Egypt has no ‘territorial ambitions’ after Israel’s Smotrich threatens Sinai

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a joint statements and agreements during the EU and Egypt summit in Brussels, on Oct. 22, 2025.

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sues Netanyahu for nearly $1M over Oct. 7 claims

Israel's Chief of the Mossad David Barnea (R) and Security Agency director Ronen Bar, attend a ceremony marking the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7 last year that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on October 27, 2024. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Explainer

Israel-UK relations hit new low over settlements, Gaza: What to know

The British Consulate General in east Jerusalem represents the British government in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza during a protest against the recently announced British sanctions, aimed at economic activity in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, on Sept. 14, 2026, in Jerusalem.

West Bank olive harvest begins amid settler attacks on Palestinians, groves

Palestinian men sitting in and by a tractor look on after another man was injured by gunfire whilst being chased away by Israeli forces, in Aqraba in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Oct. 6, 2026.

Palestinian fishermen gather their net along a beach in Gaza City at sunset on December 2, 2020. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

Hamas claims Israeli drone, not Palestinian rocket, killed 3 fishermen

Hamas said the fishermen were killed by an explosives-carrying Israeli drone they found at sea, but others say it may have come from Palestinian rocket fire.

Palestinian shot in the West Bank after clash with Israeli soldiers

Clashes between Israelis and Palestinians are common in the territory.

Israeli leaders unite in slamming ICC prosecutor

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin harshly condemned the decision by International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to investigate Israel for alleged war crimes.

Bernie Sanders criticizes Israel over vaccine situation in Palestinian territories

The Israeli prime minister's son responded to Sanders on Twitter, saying Israel is not responsible for vaccinating Palestinians. The spat followed reports Israel is giving surplus vaccines to allies abroad.

Palestinians to lose only airport in Jerusalem to Israeli settlements

Israel advances its measures to annex Jerusalem by implementing several settlement projects, including one on the site of Palestine’s old airport.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to staff at the US State Department during the first visit of US President Joe Biden(L) in Washington, DC, February 4, 2021. - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced concern over jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny and imprisoned Americans in a telephone call Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Blinken calls on UN Human Rights Council to end 'unacceptable bias against Israel'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Biden administration would seek full membership on the Geneva-based council.

Settler movement takes over Jewish National Fund

The decision by the Jewish National Fund to start purchasing land in the West Bank marks another victory for the right-wing and the settlement movement.

Hamas flags stand on the roof of the house of Palestinian assailant Salah Barghouti after it was partially demolished by Israeli forces in the village of Kobar near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on April 17, 2019. - Israeli forces destroyed the home of the Palestinian who was killed during his attempted arrest on suspicion of carrying out a December shooting. Seven people were wounded in the December 9 attack near the Israeli settlement of Ofra in the occupied West Bank, one of them a pregnan

Is Israel trying to keep Hamas from running in Palestinian elections?

The Israeli army has recently arrested dozens of Hamas cadres and leaders in the West Bank in the lead up to the Palestinian elections, which may affect Hamas’ leaders ability to mobilize the masses, launch electoral campaigns and persuade candidates to join their lists for fear of Israeli arrests.

Biden, Netanyahu hold 'friendly and warm' call

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the hourlong call discussed peace, Iran and other issues.

Marwan Barghouti insists on running for president in Palestinian elections

Fatah leaders are scrambling to convince imprisoned leader Marwan Barghouti to run in the Fatah list for the legislative elections, and renounce his bid to run for the presidency.

Russian interactions with Palestinians seen as all talk, no action

Russia is showing its reach with Palestinian factions in advance of elections, but there is still no sign that Moscow is having an impact.

This picture taken from the Israeli side of the Mitar checkpoint on September 17, 2020 shows Palestinian workers crossing out of Israel a day ahead of Rosh-Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and of a nationwide lockdown aimed at curbing a spike of coronavirus cases. - Israel has the world's second-highest virus infection rate after Bahrain, according to an AFP tally over the past fortnight, and on September 18 it is set to be the first country to impose a second lockdown. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP) (Photo by H

Conflicting messages leave Palestinian workers outside Israel jobless

Conflicting messages from Israeli authorities cause tens of thousands of Palestinian laborers to be stuck in the West Bank, unable to reenter Israel for work.