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Palestine

May 15, 2026

Al Bīrah 12:26 am

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Israel's Netanyahu suing New York Times over column on Palestinian rape

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's accusations of systematic sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian prisoners, calling the claims a "blood libel."

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

Latest News

Analysis

On eve of Palestinian local elections, competition in short supply

Women read instructions to voters ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 21, 2026.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

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

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

Palestinians carry the body of slain Turkish-American Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, an International Solidarity Movement activist, during a funeral procession in Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 9, 2024.

Turkey seeks Interpol Red Notice in Israeli killing of US activist

Ankara's chief prosecutor has launched an investigation into the death of US-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank.

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli critically injured in West Bank truck attack

An Israeli citizen was hit by a gas tanker driven by a Palestinian man from the occupied West Bank village of Rafat on Wednesday morning.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After earning the Democratic Party nomination following President Joe Biden's decision to leave the race, Harris faced off with Trump in what may be the only debate of the 2024 race for the White House. (Photo by Win

Trump says Kamala Harris 'hates' Israel as she calls for end to Gaza war

In their first and perhaps only debate, neither Harris nor Trump offered a substantive plan to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds up a Vision for Peace map while speaking at the United Nations Security Council, New York, Feb. 11, 2020.

Egypt agreed for Abbas to enter Gaza but Israel refused: Report

After rejecting a request from the Palestinian Authority to allow President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to Gaza via the Erez or Kerem Shalom crossings, Israel reportedly declined a request by Egypt to enable Abbas to enter the strip via the Rafah crossing.

An Israeli soldier fires teargas at Palestinians during a protest in the village of Beita against a march by settlers to the nearby Israeli outpost of Eviatar, the occupied West Bank, April 10, 2023.

US-Turkish dual citizen shot dead in Israeli-occupied West Bank

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was killed while taking part in a march against the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

An Israeli check point in the region at the scene as in the presence of armed Israeli forces, settlers attack the industrial area of the town of Beita and set fire to some Palestinian properties in the West Bank on August 2, 2024.

Record-high Israeli settler violence in West Bank with 1,246 attacks since Oct. 7: ICG

A new report by the International Crisis Group says Israeli settler attacks since the Gaza war have resulted in 21 deaths of Palestinians and 643 injuries, with the destruction of nearly 23,000 Palestinian-owned trees.

US President Joe Biden steps off Marine One in Washington, on Sept. 2, 2024.

Biden takes jab at Netanyahu over handling of hostage deal talks

US President Joe Biden believes Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a hostage deal, amid growing frustration inside Israel following the recovery of six hostages killed inside Gaza.

Jenin

West Bank shooting kills three Israelis as Jenin turns 'catastrophic'

In Jenin, where Israeli troops have imposed a tight siege, the situation has deteriorated according to the local municipality.

Israeli soldiers operate during a raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 28, 2024.

Analysis

What's driving Israel's largest West Bank operation in decades?

Analysts believe the aim of Israel’s large-scale operation in the West Bank is to ultimately pave the way for the establishment of more settlements.

Ahmad Melhem

By Ahmad Melhem

In Ramallah, reporting on politics

Yahya Sinwar addresses supporters during a rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people celebrated annually on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City, on April 14, 2023.

Netanyahu priority may be Sinwar, not Gaza cease-fire

A recap of Al-Monitor reporting from Israel, Iran, the UAE and Turkey.

Head of the political wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar (2nd-R) is greeted upon his meeting to a gathering in Gaza City on April 30, 2022. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

As he stalls Gaza talks, Israel's Netanyahu prioritizes capturing Sinwar

The recent rescue of a hostage held in Gaza boosts assessments in Israel that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is under growing pressure and could be captured soon.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Displaced Palestinians carry a box of food rations provided by the World Food Program at a makeshift street market in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 14, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

World Food Program suspends staff movement after vehicle shot at in Gaza

The news comes amid efforts to increase vaccinations against polio in war-torn Gaza.