MAHMOUD ABBAS

(AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) (Nasser Nasser)RAMALLAH, West Bank — (AP) — Thousands gathered to mourn a slain Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, as the head of the Palestinian Authority blamed Israel for her death and rejected Israeli calls for a joint investigation. Israel is calling for a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank and cooperates with it on security. The Qatar-based Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately killing her and vowed to take legal action. Her reporting shed light on the harsh realities of Israeli military rule, which is well into its sixth decade with no end in sight. Among the slain Palestinians were an unarmed woman and at least two apparent passersby, feeding criticism that Israel often uses excessive force.

The Palestinian Authority has rejected an Israeli request to hold a joint investigation into the deadly shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

Thousands have gathered to mourn a slain Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

Residents of a cluster of Bedouin communities in the occupied West Bank have vowed to stick to their land and resist an order by Israel's top court to evict them.

Israel's interior minister says plans will be advanced for the construction of 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank.

Israel Attack Ultra-Orthodox Jews stand behind police tape after a stabbing attack in the town of Elad, Israel, Thursday, May 5, 2022. Israeli medics say at least three people were killed in a stabbing attack near Tel Aviv on Thursday night. Defense Minister Benny Gantz extended a closure on the West Bank, imposed ahead of the holiday to prevent Palestinians from entering Israel, to remain in effect until Sunday. At least 18 Israelis have been killed in five attacks since March, including another stabbing rampage in southern Israel, two shootings in the Tel Aviv area, and a shooting last weekend in a West Bank settlement. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — which includes Al-Aqsa and other major religious sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims — in the 1967 Mideast war.

Israeli security forces are carrying out a massive manhunt for two Palestinians suspected in a mass stabbing near Tel Aviv that left three Israelis dead

Israeli security forces are carrying out a massive manhunt for two Palestinians suspected in a mass stabbing near Tel Aviv that left three Israelis dead.

Israeli authorities said a pair of Palestinian attackers went on a stabbing rampage in a town near Tel Aviv, killing at least three people and wounding four others before fleeing in a vehicle.

Israel Attack Israeli forces secure the area of a stabbing attack in the town of Elad, Israel, Thursday, May 5, 2022. Israeli medics say at least three people were killed in a stabbing attack near Tel Aviv on Thursday night. The stabbing, coming on Israel's Independence Day, was the latest in a string of deadly attacks in Israeli cities in recent weeks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose government administers autonomous zones in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, condemned the attack. At least 18 Israelis have died in five attacks — including a stabbing rampage in southern Israel, two other shootings in the Tel Aviv area and a shooting last weekend in a West Bank settlement.

Palestinian medical officials say 17 people have been wounded in clashes with Israeli police in Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians, including a teenage boy, in the occupied West Bank.

The attacks by Palestinian assailants, including most recently on Tuesday night, have killed 11 people in the deadliest spate Israel has seen in years. In Tuesday's attack, a 27-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank methodically gunned down victims, killing five. The two earlier attacks were carried out by Palestinian citizens of Israel; in all three incidents the attackers were killed by police or passersby. In response to the violence, Israel has increased its security presence in Israeli cities and the occupied West Bank. It has made arrests in Arab communities and raided the West Bank home of the man who carried out Tuesday's attack.

Three deadly attacks in Israel in a week are raising doubts over Israel’s approach to its conflict with the Palestinians.

While unprecedented, the meeting came amid a growing list of tensions between the Washington and its Middle East allies, including the the Iran nuclear deal, tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and a lackluster response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from Arab and Israeli partners.

Israel has hosted the foreign ministers of four Arab nations and the United States in a bid to strengthen its position in a rapidly shifting Middle East.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will try to use his three-nation tour of the Middle East and North Africa to reassure wary Israelis and Arabs that the Biden administration is committed to the region’s security at a time when Washington is confronting multiple foreign policy challenges.

While Israeli and Palestinian leaders have each taken flak for recent cooperation, it makes sense for both sides to seek stability.

Israel says its security forces killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus who had been responsible for recent shooting attacks.

Amnesty International says Israel has maintained “a system of oppression and domination” over the Palestinians going all the way back to its establishment in 1948, one that meets the international definition of apartheid.

Egyptian authorities have deported the son of a prominent Palestinian politician after he served 2 1/2 years of pre-trial detention over allegations of having ties with an outlawed group

JERUSALEM — (AP) — A truck and a van collided on a narrow two-lane highway in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing eight Palestinians and injuring another two, according to Israeli medics. Videos circulating online appeared to show the truck slamming into the van head-on as the van sought to make a left turn off the highway. Israeli and Palestinian media later reported that one of the injured had died. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 war, and Palestinian want it to form the main part of their future state. Tens of thousands of Palestinians work in Israel and Israeli settlements, where wages are much higher than in the parts of the West Bank administered by Abbas' Palestinian Authority.

After session with Mahmoud Abbas, Defense Minister Benny Gantz OK'd a series of measures designed to help relations with Palestinians.

Israel's defense minister approved a raft of measures aimed at improving relations with the Palestinians on Wednesday following a rare meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Israel. Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Abbas at his private residence in a Tel Aviv suburb late Tuesday night. It was the first time Abbas met an Israeli official inside Israel since 2010.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas paid a rare visit to Israel on Tuesday for talks with Israel's defense minister, the latest in a series of meetings by top Israeli officials with the Palestinian leader. Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, opposes Palestinian independence and has ruled out formal peace talks.

Small dovish parties that support Palestinian statehood are back in Israel's government after years in the country's political wilderness - but they are finding their influence is limited.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry says it has detected spyware developed by the Israeli hacker-for-hire company NSO Group on the phones of three senior officials.

A man pelts French President Emmanuel Macron with an egg during his visit to a restaurant and hotel trade fair in the southeastern city of Lyon.

Israel’s new prime minister has appealed to the international community to stand together against Iran.

Palestinian health officials say at least five Palestinians have been killed in shootouts with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

With cascading crises casting a pall over the proceedings at this year's United Nations General Assembly, women's voices at the annual gathering of world leaders are few, but growing. (Sept. 24)

He threatened to withdraw recognition of Israel — a cornerstone of three decades of failed peace efforts — if it failed to do so. “If this is not achieved, why maintain recognition of Israel based on the 1967 borders?" Palestinian recognition of Israel was the foundation of the 1993 Oslo accords that launched the Middle East peace process. Abbas' harsh rhetoric reflects widespread Palestinian frustration with the moribund peace process. The death of an prominent critic of the Palestinian Authority while in the custody of Palestinian security forces in June sparked widespread protests in which the security forces beat and arrested several demonstrators.

President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday gave Israel one year to end its occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state.

In an unusually harsh speech, President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday gave Israel one year to end its occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state. “If the Israeli occupation authorities continue to entrench the reality of one apartheid state as is happening today, our Palestinian people and the entire world will not tolerate such a situation," Abbas said.

Only five women addressed the United Nations General Assembly in the first half of its session this year.

The United Nations chief is warning global leaders at the opening of the U_N_'s foremost gathering that the world has never been more threatened and divided and “we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.”.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — The last two of six Palestinian prisoners who escaped a maximum-security Israeli prison two weeks ago were rearrested early Sunday, the Israeli military said. The two were captured during an Israeli army raid in their hometown of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, closing an intense, embarrassing pursuit that exposed security flaws after the six prisoners tunneled out of their cell on Sept. 6. The escapes set off a massive pursuit operation that captured the first four inmates in two separate operations in northern Israel. Five of the prisoners are from the Islamic Jihad militant group, with four of them serving life sentences, and the sixth is a member of the secular Fatah group of President Mahmoud Abbas. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Israel Prisoners Escape Police officers and prison guards inspect the scene of a prison escape outside the Gilboa prison in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. Palestinians consider prisoners held by Israel to be heroes of their national cause, and many celebrated the escape on social media. Efforts to capture the escapees will likely draw attention to the Palestinian Authority’s security coordination with Israel, which is deeply unpopular among Palestinians. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, which represents both former and current prisoners, identified the men as ranging in age from 26 to 49 years old. PA security forces coordinate with Israel to target Hamas and other militants that both view as a threat.

Israel has launched a massive manhunt in the country's north and the occupied West Bank after six Palestinian prisoners escaped from a high-security facility.

The three leaders said the Palestinians have a right to an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. At least 260 Palestinians were killed during the conflict, including 67 children and 39 women, according to the Gaza health ministry. Egypt, which has played a key mediation role between Israel and Hamas over the years, mediated a truce. Those talks signaled a possible shift after the near-complete breakdown in communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years. Kamel had also travelled to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian President Abbas, whom the U.S. and Israel would like to bolster in his rivalry with Hamas.

A Palestinian official said Gantz and Abbas discussed possible steps toward improving the atmosphere.

Israel Abbas FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2021, file photo, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Gantz held talks late Sunday, August 29, 2021, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years, officials said. Sunday's meeting between Benny Gantz and Mahmoud Abbas signaled a possible shift of direction after after the near-complete breakdown of communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years. It came two days after President Joe Biden urged Israel's new prime minister during a White House meeting to take steps toward improving the lives of Palestinians. Israel's former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, pursued a hard-line policy toward the Palestinians, backed by former President Donald Trump.

Israel Abbas FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2021, file photo, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Gantz held talks late Sunday, August 29, 2021, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years, officials said. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File) (Abir Sultan)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's defense minister held talks late Sunday with the Palestinian president in the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years, officials said. The meeting between Benny Gantz and Mahmoud Abbas signaled a possible shift of direction after after the near-complete breakdown of communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years, under former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gantz told Abbas that Israel would take measures to strengthen the Palestinian economy, according to a statement by Gantz' office.

Israel’s defense minister has held talks with the Palestinian president in the occupied West Bank, the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years.

The White House says Israel's new prime minister is coming to Washington next week, with Iran and Israel's relationship with the Palestinians on the agenda.

Relations between the new Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority have shifted substantially in recent weeks, with Israeli officials going so far as to call it “a renaissance."Why it matters: During Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure as prime minister, relations deteriorated to the point where there was almost no contact other than security coordination. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeState of play: In the last month,

Hundreds of Jewish pilgrims have visited a contested Jerusalem holy site under heavy police guard after Muslim worshippers briefly clashed with Israeli security forces there.

The family of a political activist who died in the custody of Palestinian security forces last month has accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to cover up his death

The family of a political activist who died in the custody of Palestinian security forces last month has accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to cover up his death.

The family of a political activist who died in the custody of Palestinian security forces last month on Saturday accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to cover up his death. Relatives of Nazir Banat said they still have not received a document with an official cause of death and said the Palestinian Authority has made efforts to settle the matter out of court. Nazir Banat was an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority who called on Western nations to stop providing aid to the PA due to human rights violations and growing authoritarianism.

A Palestinian human rights lawyer was detained by Israeli forces early Sunday after taking part in a protest in the occupied West Bank against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, his rights group said. The Independent Commission for Human Rights said Farid al-Atrash was detained at an Israeli checkpoint while returning from a protest against the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, where the PA is headquartered. It said al-Atrash was transferred to Israel's Hadassah Hospital.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday to demonstrate against President Mahmoud Abbas, hoping to inject new momentum into a protest movement sparked by the death of an outspoken critic in the custody of security forces. Palestinian security forces and groups of men in plainclothes violently dispersed a similar protest a week ago, drawing expressions of concern from the United States and the U.N. human rights chief. The Palestinian Authority was established as part of the peace process in the 1990s and governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

For the first time in decades no one is clamoring for a quixotic US-led effort to deliver a final status agreement.

The U.N. human rights chief on Thursday urged the Palestinian Authority to ensure the safety of protesters after security forces and supporters of President Mahmoud Abbas attacked demonstrators over the weekend. The protests erupted after an outspoken critic of the PA died shortly after his family says he was severely beaten by security forces who arrested him. The PA, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has grown increasingly autocratic and unpopular in recent years.

Mobilized by the killing of a political activist, Palestinian protesters are saying their increasingly autocratic president, Mahmoud Abbas, must go.

APTOPIX Palestinians Activist Death Palestinian security officers in plainclothes detain a demonstrator during clashes that erupted following a rally protesting the death of Palestinian Authority outspoken critic Nizar Banat, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Saturday, June 26, 2021. Banat who was a candidate in parliamentary elections called off earlier this year died after Palestinian security forces arrested him and beat him with batons last Thursday, his family said. It was seen as a state-in-waiting and was granted limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians, negotiating from a position of weakness, sought an independent state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, territories Israel seized in the 1967 war. That confined Abbas' authority to parts of the West Bank.

Thousands of Palestinians have taken to the streets in recent days to protest against President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority.

She allegedly used the Turo app to rent cars that two brothers - one of whom is the father of her children - used to rob people.

A new poll released Tuesday finds a dramatic surge in Palestinian support for Hamas following last month's Gaza war, with around three quarters viewing the Islamic militants as victors in a battle against Israel to defend Jerusalem and its holy sites. The scientific poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research also found plummeting support for President Mahmoud Abbas, who was sidelined by the war but is seen internationally as a partner for reviving the long-defunct peace process. The poll found that 53% of Palestinians believe Hamas is “most deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people,” while only 14% prefer Abbas' secular Fatah party.

Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinians, including two security officers, in a shootout that erupted in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin during what appeared to be an Israeli arrest raid overnight, Palestinian officials said Thursday. The coordination has contributed to mounting anger at the PA among Palestinians. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned what he called a “dangerous Israeli escalation," saying the three were killed by Israeli special forces who disguise themselves as Arabs during arrest raids.

A boy “scared for himself and his siblings” called 911 on his mom, police say.

Egypt has invited Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority for separate talks that aim at consolidating the cease-fire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s militant Hamas rulers, an Egyptian intelligence official said Thursday.

Over 48 hours, Biden's secretary of State held meetings with four very different leaders who had contradictory ties with former President Trump.

He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas

US Israel Blinken Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with reporters during a news conference at his hotel, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Jerusalem. Ahead of his departure, Blinken described Egypt and Jordan as central players in trying to bring calm to the region. In Egypt, which borders both Israel and Gaza, he was scheduled to meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and other top officials. In a gesture to the Palestinians, Blinken on Tuesday announced plans to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem — an office that historically handled diplomatic outreach to the Palestinians. If there is successful cooperation in Gaza between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community, he said, “then Hamas' foothold in Gaza will slip.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up a two-day Mideast mission, winning valuable diplomatic support and hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges from Arab allies as he moved to shore up the cease-fire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s militant Hamas rulers.

(Menahem Kahana/Pool Photo via AP) (Menahem Kahana)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Tuesday that the U.S. would reopen its consulate in Jerusalem — a move that restores ties with Palestinians that had been downgraded by the Trump administration. The consulate long served as an autonomous office in charge of diplomatic relations with the Palestinians. Trump's move infuriated the Palestinians, who view east Jerusalem as occupied territory and the capital of their future state. He announced the step after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. The truce remains tenuous since tensions are still high in Jerusalem and the fate of the Palestinian families is not yet resolved.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced on Tuesday that the U.S. would be reopening the Consulate General in Jerusalem that handled relations with the Palestinians but was shut down by the Trump administration.The state of play: Blinken made the announcement after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and hours after he had raised the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeWhy it matters: The consulate oversaw U.S. diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority for more than two decades before being merged into the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Reopening the consulate will be a major step toward normalizing U.S.-Palestinian ties, but it also requires Israeli approval.White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the move was the "natural next step toward restoring ties with the Palestinians," while Blinken said the consulate would also be used to re-engage with civil society and the business sector. He didn't offer a timeline for the reopening.Behind the scenes: Netanyahu raised reservations with Blinken during their meeting and said he'd prefer it if the consulate were to remain as part of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, rather than an independent diplomatic mission, Israeli officials say. The State Department didn’t immediately offer comment.Hady Amr, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, raised the consulate issue last week with officials in Netanyahu's office and the Foreign Ministry while serving as Blinken's envoy during the Gaza crisis. The Israeli officials say Amr received a noncommittal response. The sense of urgency grew in Washington during the crisis, with officials at the State Department feeling at times that they were "flying blind" without a consulate to engage with the Palestinian side, a source familiar with the issue said.In his comments on Tuesday, Blinken stressed that reopening the consulate would make it easier to coordinate humanitarian assistance to Gaza and reconstruction efforts with the UN and the Palestinian Authority. Blinken added the Biden administration would be asking Congress to approve an additional $75 million dollars in assistance for the reconstruction of Gaza in 2021 and another $30 million dollars for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees.The backstory: The consulate dates back to 1844 and served for 25 years as the U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians before being shut down by the Trump administration and merged into the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in 2019.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

Blinken visits Israel, West Bank, offers Palestinians aid for devastated Gaza Strip after Israeli-Hamas war, says U.S. to reopen Jerusalem consulate.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not give a precise date for reopening the consulate.

US Israel Blinken Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, stands with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, upon arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Blinken has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza cease-fire. The 11-day war between Israel and Hamas killed more than 250 people, mostly Palestinians, and caused widespread destruction in the impoverished coastal territory. Blinken will not be meeting with Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist and which Israel and the U.S. consider a terrorist organization. A crowd of worshippers at Al-Aqsa chanted against the Palestinian Authority and in support of Hamas on Friday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Tuesday that the U.S. would reopen its consulate in Jerusalem — a move that restores ties with Palestinians that had been downgraded by the Trump administration. The consulate long served as an autonomous office in charge of diplomatic relations with the Palestinians. Trump's move infuriated the Palestinians, who view east Jerusalem as occupied territory and the capital of their future state.

The U.S. and the international community are planning to engage with the Palestinians to revive peace efforts, after weeks of unrest and a devastating 11-day war in Gaza

After weeks of unrest and a devastating 11-day war in Gaza, the U.S. and the international community plan to engage with the Palestinians to revive peace efforts. The Palestinian Authority is no closer to statehood than it was when Mahmoud Abbas, now 85, was elected president in 2005 after the death of Yasser Arafat, and the Palestinians are far more deeply divided.

Israeli officials have privately expressed “regret” for blowing up a tower in the Gaza Strip that contained foreign media offices, it emerged on Sunday, as Palestinians began cleaning up the enclave’s rubble-strewn streets. In Gaza City, groups of young men and women used brooms to sweep dust and debris from the main roads, as outdoor vigils were held for the 248 victims of Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire. US officials estimate that the cost of repairing Gaza’s damaged hospitals, school and infrastructure will amount to several billion dollars, while the United Nations says hundreds of homes have been completely destroyed. It came as the New York Times reported that some Israeli military officials now “regret” a decision to strike the media tower in Gaza City, which contained the offices of Associated Press, a major US news agency, and the broadcaster Al-Jazeera. Israel maintains that the airstrike was justified as it claims that Hamas assets were in the building. The Israeli army gave reporters an hour to evacuate the tower, and no one was killed in the attack. But according to the New York Times, some Israeli military officials had argued against the air strike and now consider it a “mistake.” One official also felt that the damage caused by the strike to Israel’s international reputation outweighed the benefits of destroying Hamas equipment, the report added, citing three sources. Hamas denies that its assets were in the media tower and has accused Israel of committing “war crimes” by attacking civilian buildings, though Israel rejects this. In an interview with the Telegraph on Sunday, a senior Hamas official blamed Israel for the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza and warned that the Jewish state was “playing with fire.”

The top Hamas leader in Gaza, Yehiyeh Sinwar, paid his respects in his first public appearance since the war began. The fighting began on May 10, when Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem. The Israeli military has said it was trying to minimize harm to civilians and accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 248 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children and 39 women, with 1,910 people wounded. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Friday that more than 200 militants were killed, including 25 senior commanders.

Hundreds of masked Hamas fighters brandishing assault rifles have paraded through the streets of Gaza City and the group’s top leader appeared in public for the first time.

President Joe Biden says there has been no shift in his commitment to Israel’s security, but insisted a two-state solution that includes a state for Palestinians remains “the only answer” to that conflict.

Thousands of Palestinians rallied after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war.

A senior Hamas official says the Palestinian militant gorup has “no shortage of missiles” and could continue bombarding Israel for months if it chose to do so.

Egypt has proved itself to the world again as an indispensable mediator after it brokered a cease-fire in the short but costly Israel-Hamas war.

Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest of Israel’s policies.

President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down their bombardment of Gaza.

Confronting multiple unrelated international crises, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is aiming to revive strained ties with Denmark over climate change, Arctic policy and Russia.

Israeli warplanes have unleashed a series of heavy airstrikes at several locations of Gaza City.

The Gaza Strip has been pounded by hundreds of Israeli strikes from sea, land and air this week, while the enclave’s militant Hamas rulers have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel.

Israeli police have clashed in east Jerusalem with Palestinian protesters during the holiest night of Ramadan.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced the postponement of the first elections planned in 15 years, citing a dispute with Israel over voting in east Jerusalem.

The holy city of Jerusalem is a tinderbox of competing religious and political claims.

The holy city of Jerusalem is a tinderbox of competing religious and political claims.

Facebook says it has broken up a hacker network linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' intelligence service.

The Biden administration says it has resumed U.S. assistance to the Palestinians, including to the U.N. agency that deals with Palestinian refugees.

Marwan Barghouti, a popular Palestinian uprising leader imprisoned by Israel has submitted an independent list of candidates to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Polls indicate it would split the vote for Fatah, potentially paving the way for another major victory by Hamas. That increases the likelihood that Abbas will find a way to call off the first Palestinian elections in 15 years. But he remains a popular and charismatic leader, and by breaking with Abbas he could reshape Palestinian politics and potentially replace him as president. Polls consistently show him to be the most popular Palestinian leader, with support from across the political spectrum.

The Department of Health reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the highest since the pandemic hit the country. Fauci told CNN it seemed like the Trump virus team was “fighting with each other rather than fighting the virus.”AdIn his statement, Trump says “Dr. Texas has administered more than 10 million vaccine doses. Jared Polis has announced that residents over age 16 will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine starting Friday. Ad___NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson says it’s agreed to provide up to 400 million doses of its one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to African countries, starting this summer.

The vaccine shipment is a boost to the West Bank, where the PA has struggled to obtain vaccines as the infection rate surged in recent weeks. In the West Bank, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the vaccines would go to medical workers and older people. But in recent weeks, it has inoculated over 100,000 Palestinian laborers in the West Bank who have permits to work inside Israel and its West Bank settlements. Bootsma said the limited number of vaccines in Gaza prevents a mass vaccination campaign. The West Bank has reported nearly 163,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,824 deaths.

The Palestinian Authority says it will receive 62,000 coronavirus vaccine doses through a World Health Organization partnership designed to help poor countries. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)JERUSALEM – The Palestinian Authority said Wednesday it will receive just over 60,000 coronavirus vaccine doses over the next 48 hours, the first shipment provided by a World Health Organization partnership aimed at helping poor countries. That's only enough doses to vaccinate 31,000 people out of a population of nearly 5 million Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Kamal al-Shakhra said authorities would receive 38,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. AdUntil now, the PA had received 2,000 doses from Israel and acquired another 10,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

But to date it has only acquired enough doses to inoculate 6,000 people in a population of nearly 5 million. “We have focused from the beginning on health workers, but there are around 100,000" in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Health Minister Mai Alkaila told reporters on Tuesday. The PA acquired another 10,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. AdAlkaila said 2,000 doses have been shipped to Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and is under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade. Of the remaining 9,800 doses, she said 90% have been given to health workers.

Israel's attorney general says a plan by Netanyahu to ship surplus coronavirus vaccines to diplomatic allies has been frozen. (AP Photo/Tal Shahar, Yediot Ahronot, Pool, File)JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial plan to ship surplus coronavirus vaccines to a group of allied nations was frozen Thursday following a legal challenge to the deal, his office announced. Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he had personally decided to share small quantities of surplus Israeli vaccines with allied nations. He described the mission as a “strategic and political move at zero cost.”Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel has hundreds of thousands of surplus vaccines. In his letter, Gantz noted that the decision to share vaccines with the Palestinians was made after consultations involving various government ministries.

While Israel does not produce vaccines, Netanyahu has moved aggressively to secure enough vaccines for Israel’s 9.3 million people in deals with Pfizer and Moderna. Ad“Our supply is beyond what is needed by the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu told reporters Tuesday. In Prague, the Czech prime minister, Andrej Babis, said Israel was donating 5,000 doses to his country after a request for assistance. He said the vaccines were in response to requests from friendly countries, and not in exchange for any diplomatic favors. Israel this month delivered 2,000 doses of Moderna vaccines to the Palestinian Authority for frontline medical workers in the West Bank, and it has pledged to share a total of 5,000 doses.

GAZA – The Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip began its coronavirus vaccination drive on Monday following the arrival of the first vaccines to the blockaded coastal area. Former health ministers and several medical workers were inoculated with Russia’s Sputnik V jabs in front of dozens of cameras. More medical workers and patients with chronic diseases are to start receiving injections on Tuesday. The Palestinian Authority has struggled to secure vaccines, obtaining just 2,000 doses from Israel for West Bank medical workers and an additional 10,000 doses from Russia. Al-Qedra, the Health Ministry spokesman, said he expected more vaccines to arrive in Gaza in the coming days.