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Palestine

May 11, 2026

Ramallah 10:01 pm

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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

Lebanon looks to recreate Palestinian society in refugee camp

A decade after the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp was destroyed, UNRWA is rebuilding it based on original layouts to better achieve the sense of community that existed in pre-1948 Palestine.

PLO steps up organizing efforts in Palestinian diaspora

The Palestinian reconciliation paved the way for the Palestinians in the diaspora to unite as PLO officials and ambassadors are actively working to revive the diaspora.

Why Netanyahu loses no sleep over European uproar

Though Israeli leftists may welcome eight European countries' demand that Israel repay them for destroyed and confiscated aid for Palestinians, they may be playing right into the prime minister's hands.

Why was the West Bank excluded from Palestinian reconciliation?

It seems that the recent reconciliation agreement that aims to end the division between Hamas and Fatah has ignored reforms and changes in the West Bank, focusing more on the Gaza Strip.

Can animated film sensitize Israelis to suffering in Gaza?

A human rights organization has produced a short animated film about a girl in a candy factory to explain the conditions in Gaza caused by the blockade.

Israel, US coordinated on settlement construction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be able to walk between the raindrops by approving hundreds of new housing units in the West Bank without upsetting the Americans.

Can Netanyahu say 'no' to Trump?

Israeli right-wing ministers forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject a Palestinian reconciliation, even though the Trump administration is determined to support it.

Virtual museum brings world’s masterpieces to Gaza

The University of Palestine's new virtual museum lets Gazans experience the world's artwork and monuments without having to leave the besieged Gaza Strip.

Palestinians gauge economic impact of reconciliation

Now that Hamas and Fatah have agreed to reconcile, the Palestinian government faces the problem of paying the salaries of tens of thousands of employees from the Gaza Strip as it tries to revive the deteriorating economic situation.

Meet the generation of Palestinian division

Palestinian youth hope reconciliation will compensate for the dreams they lost as a result of the 10-year-long internal division.

Egypt key to Palestinian reconciliation

The future of Palestinian reconciliation depends more on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi than it does on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Is Jordan planning major change in Red Sea-Dead Sea project?

Amid rumors that Jordan is freezing out Israel and the Palestinian Authority with regard to the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project, officials remained silent.