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

Palestine cover image

Palestine

April 23, 2026

Al Bīrah 10:54 pm

14°C

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.

Meloni

Meloni suspends Italy's military cooperation agreement with Israel

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced her country's military cooperation agreement with Israel will no longer be automatically renewed.

MOJAHID NAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

'Apartheid': Arab countries including UAE, Jordan decry new Israeli law

A group of foreign ministers struck out at a new Israeli law requiring the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism in military courts.

Latest News

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.

Analysis

Hamas sits out Iran war as Gaza, Gulf interests take priority

Displaced Palestinians gather for a fast-breaking Iftar meal amid the rubble of destroyed buildings at the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Feb. 23, 2026.

Abeer Ayyoub

By Abeer Ayyoub

In Istanbul, reporting on Palestine

Spain recalls Israel ambassador, calls Iran war 'flagrant illegality': What to know

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a United Nations Summit on Palestinians at UN headquarters during the United Nations General Assembly, New York, Sept. 22, 2025.

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

Why can't Gazans drink their tea in peace?

Security services in Gaza are implementing heavy and exaggerated measures in cafes and public spaces, dealing with clients as suspicious persons, so have they crossed the line?

Will Palestinian place where Jesus was baptized become World Heritage Site?

Palestinians are seeking to register the western side of the Baptism Site on the Jordan River as a World Heritage Site.

(L to R) French Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, French President Francois Hollande and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pose prior to an international and interministerial conference in a bid to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, in Paris, France, June 3, 2016. REUTERS/Stephane de Sakutin/Pool - RTX2FHFG

Why Israel rejected Paris peace conference

Israel had hoped that the Paris conference initiative will fade away, the way the French initiative for a UN resolution on Palestinian statehood was sidelined.

Young Gazans juggle their jobs with circus performances

The only circus school in Gaza is popular with patrons, and performers say they've gained confidence and friends from the experience.

Will Hamas abandon political Islam?

The decision by Tunisia's Ennahda to separate religion from politics has raised controversy within Hamas circles.

How Israel justifies increased arrest rate of Palestinians

The number of Palestinians in Israeli jails has increased as detainees are accused of incitement against Israel on social media.

Will Israel's new defense minister agree to meet with Abbas?

Israeli mayors who met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas say that he is willing to meet with new Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.

What to expect from this week's Paris talks on Israeli-Palestinian peace

A conference on advancing a two-state solution will convene in Paris June 3, but the United States has expressed ambivalence about the French initiative.

How to ensure success at the Paris peace conference

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman made some positive remarks this week about the need for a regional arrangement, but the route from words to deeds is a long and uncertain one.

Are Hamas, Egypt nearing reconciliation?

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri spoke about the improvements in Hamas-Egyptian ties and other Palestinian issues.

A general view of Jerusalem's old city shows the Dome of the Rock in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, October 25, 2015. Palestinian officials reacted warily on Sunday to what U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed as Jordan's "excellent suggestion" to calm Israeli-Palestinian violence by putting a sensitive Jerusalem holy site under constant video monitoring. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTX1T4AE

How one Jerusalem neighborhood has been left to fend for itself

The Jerusalem neighborhood Kufr Aqab has become no-man’s-land, as Israelis who have sovereignty do not provide services to its residents and the Palestinian Authority is not allowed to enter the area.

IDF warns of escalating pressure in Gaza

IDF officers are concerned that poverty, unemployment and an internal power struggle within Hamas might push the movement into a new military conflict with Israel.