About: Middle East conflict
Palestinian president, Israeli defence minister hold rare talks
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank on Sunday (29 August) for the first official Israeli-Palestinian talks since Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took office in June.
The cautionary tale and the million-dollar question in Gaza
How do we go about efficiently allocating the EU aid in the extremely complex environment following the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas? Getting the answer right is worth every dollar of our aid channelled to Gaza, writes Jakub Kulhanek.
Diplomat: EU could seek to bypass Hungary after series of vetoes
The EU could begin issuing statements on behalf of 26 members rather than all 27 following a series of vetoes by Hungary on a range of issues, an EU diplomat told journalists on Friday (21 May).
Israel retaliates after Syrian missile lands near nuclear reactor
A Syrian surface-to-air missile exploded in southern Israel on Thursday (22 April), the Israeli military said, in an incident that triggered warning sirens in an area near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor.
Hungary says it will be only EU country to send minister to Israel-UAE accord signing
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó will be the only EU diplomatic leader to attend the signing ceremony on Tuesday in Washington for the Israel-United Arab Emirates peace deal, his spokesman said on Sunday (13 September).
Israel, UAE to normalize relations in shift in Mideast politics
Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday (13 August) that they will normalise diplomatic ties and forge a broad new relationship, a move that reshapes the order of Middle East politics.
Palestinians rally against Trump Mideast plan
Thousands of Palestinians on Monday (22 June) demonstrated against US President Donald Trump's plan for the Middle East that includes Israel's annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian PM submits ‘counter-proposal’ to Trump plan
Palestinians have sent the diplomatic Quartet a response to the US Mideast plan which sees parts of the West Bank being annexed by Israel, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Tuesday (9 June).
Annexations in the West Bank: Europeans need to punch their weight
Last week, EU foreign ministers emphasised that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the Union’s strategic interests and that they discourage possible steps towards annexations. In this vein, the EU and its member states should send a clear signal, Muriel Asseburg and Peter Lintl argue.
Israel swears in unity government, PM insists on West Bank annexation
Israel's parliament swore in a new unity government on Sunday (17 May) led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz, ending the longest political crisis in the nation's history.
Abbas says Palestinians cutting all ties with Israel, US
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas announced Saturday (1 February) a cut of all ties with Israel and the United States, including security cooperation, after Washington unveiled a controversial Middle East plan seen as favouring Israel.
Trump’s son-in law and Middle East adviser Kushner meets EU leaders
US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and Middle East peace adviser Jared Kushner met European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker for talks in Brussels on Tuesday (4 June).
Palestinians turn to EU to counter Kushner plan
The Palestinians are asking the European Union to pick up the mantle in defence of the two-state solution if the upcoming US peace plan ditches Palestinian statehood, their UN envoy said Tuesday (7 May).
Deadly escalation as Israel retaliates over Gaza rockets
Israel carried out waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday (5 May) after Palestinian rockets hit Israeli cities, in a deadly escalation that showed no signs of slowing and raised fears of war.
Mogherini’s tarnished legacy
Paradoxically it was the EU’s closest partner, the United States, that has done most to damage Federica Mogherini's legacy as High Representative with a full-scale assault on the EU’s commitment to multilateralism, writes Fraser Cameron.
In Sofia, EU leaders will seek united front on Trump
European Union leaders will try to forge a united response at a summit today (16 May) to US President Donald Trump's shock decisions on the Iran nuclear deal and trade tariffs.
Mogherini urges ‘utmost restraint’ after Gaza deaths
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday (14 May) urged "utmost restraint" after at least 37 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during protests against the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.
EU asks whether Israel used ‘proportionate’ force in Gaza
The EU raised questions Saturday (7 April) about whether Israeli troops engaged in "proportionate use of force" in the latest border clashes that left nine Palestinians dead in the Gaza Strip.
EU rebuffs Netanyahu’s Jerusalem call
The EU's diplomatic chief on Monday (11 December) bluntly rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's suggestion that Europe would follow the US in recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital, saying there would be no change to its stance on the holy city.
Erdogan and Macron take lead in urging US to turn back on Jerusalem decision
Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and France's Emmanuel Macron will work together to try to persuade the United States to reconsider its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a Turkish presidential source said on Saturday (9 December).
Hamas, Fatah sign deal on Palestinian reconciliation
Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement on Thursday (12 October) on ending a decade-long split following talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo, with president Mahmud Abbas calling it a "final" accord.
US, Israel leave UNESCO for good
The United States and its ally Israel said yesterday (12 October) they were pulling out of the UN's culture and education body in a move that underlined Washington's drift away from international institutions.
France and Germany frown at Trump’s Middle East policy
France and Germany consider the US position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict confusing and risking ending the prospect of a two-state solution and fuel conflict in the region, the two leading EU countries said yesterday (16 February).