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Palestine

May 14, 2026

Ramallah 2:15 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

Latest News

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Olmert

Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert

Former Israeli prime minister

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

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

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on her nomination to be Ambassador to the United Nations on Capitol Hill on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Trump’s UN envoy pick Stefanik blasts organization’s 'antisemitic rot'

The Republican lawmaker also told senators she believes Israel has a biblical claim to the entire West Bank.

Donald Trump is sworn in as US president in the Rotunda of the US Capitol, in Washington, on Jan. 20, 2025.

From Syria to Yemen: Middle East reacts to Donald Trump’s inauguration

Donald Trump's inauguration sparked a mix of optimism and cautious reactions across the Middle East, with US allies expressing hope for continued collaboration, while Iran, Palestine and regional proxies voiced concerns about his policies and their impact on regional stability.

Israeli forces in armored vehicles conduct a raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Jan. 21, 2025.

Israeli raid in West Bank kills 8 in Jenin as tensions soar

The operation follows Israeli concerns about the presence of Iran-backed groups in the Palestinian territory as well as a crackdown by the Palestinian Authority's security services.

A car belonging to Palestinian villagers set on fire during clashes after the Israeli settlers stormed the village of Qusra in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday, April 13, 2024. (Photo by Wahaj Bani Moufleh / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by WAHAJ BANI MOUFLEH/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump revokes sanctions on Israeli settlers in West Bank: What we know

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders from withdrawing from the World Health Organization to reversing one that sanctioned violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

US President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the the 47th president of the United States in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second non-consecutive term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump 'not confident' Gaza deal will hold

Agence France-Presse

Supporters and relatives of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Palestinian militants react while watching a live TV broadcast on the release of Israeli hostages, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 19, 2025.

Relief over hostage release briefly overshadows Israel's political divide

As Israel celebrated the homecoming of Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher Sunday, the far right continues to oppose the mediated deal with Hamas.

TOPSHOT - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the district court in Tel Aviv for his hearing on corruption charges on December 10, 2024. Netanyahu, the first sitting prime minister of Israel to face a criminal trial, testified for the first time when his corruption case resumed on December 10 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust in three separate cases. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Why did Netanyahu agree to Gaza deal, and what are next steps?

The last hurdle before Israel makes the hostage deal official is the Supreme Court.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

People check the rubble of buildings hit in Israeli strikes the previous night in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 16, 2025, following a truce announcement amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.

Gaza's 15-month war in numbers: Over 46,000 killed, nearly 1.9M displaced

Though the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will mean an end to the fighting, the devastating consequences of the war will drag on for years in both Gaza and Israel.

Displaced Palestinians gather outside their tents in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on January 16, 2025, one day after the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas to end the 15-month Gaza war. Qatar and the United States announced on January 15 a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas that will take effect on the weekend, adding that they hoped it would pave the way for a permanent end to the war in Gaza. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP) (Photo b

Gaza celebrates end of longest Israel-Hamas war with overwhelming joy

Though their losses are incalculable, the people of Gaza were overjoyed by the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

US President Joe Biden (C) delivers remarks on the recently announced ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

How the Gaza ceasefire deal came together

At the last minute, negotiators in Doha managed to seal the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that had eluded the Biden administration for more than 15 months.

This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an Israeli army tank stationed on a hill overlooking northern Gaza on January 16, 2025, following the announcement of a truce amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Israel's cabinet was expected to meet on January 16, to approve a ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported, a day after mediators announced an agreement they hope will lead to a permanent end to the Gaza war. (Photo by Menahem KA

Israel, Hamas trade accusations of blocking Gaza deal: What we know

Israel and Hamas are accusing each other of blocking the deal announced on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages due to disagreements over the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Smoke plume rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on January 13, 2025 amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Gaza ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas

Three Americans — Keith Seigel, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander — are among the hostages set to be released from Hamas captivity.