About: Palestinians Archives

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday (11 February) urged the UN Security Council to reject President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, saying it would splinter Palestinian lands and never bring lasting peace.

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.

The European Union's top diplomat said Tuesday (28 January) that the bloc remains "firm and united" behind the quest for a negotiated two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved a new settlement in the occupied West Bank on Sunday (15 September), two days ahead of a closely fought election as he seeks to boost turnout among his right-wing base.

Arab and Muslim countries Wednesday (11 September) led a wave of outcry after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to annex a key part of the occupied West Bank if re-elected. The EU also reacted.

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).

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.

The Romanian prime minister promised Sunday (25 March) in Washington that her country would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with both the European position and apparently with her own country's president.

In an exclusive interview, Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner General of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, told of the challenges of the international community in the context of the Syrian war and beyond.

The Trump administration on Wednesday (3 October) pulled out of two international agreements after Iran and the Palestinians complained to the International Court of Justice about US policies, the latest withdrawal by Washington from multilateral accords.

The Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA on Thursday (27 September) received pledges of $118 million (€101 million) from donor countries to help it overcome a crisis triggered by US funding cuts.

The Trump administration on Monday (10 September) threatened tough action against the International Criminal Court should it try to prosecute Americans for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and said the PLO's office in Washington would be closed for seeking to punish Israel through the court.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Lithuania on Thursday (23 August) for a Baltic summit saying he hoped to deepen ties with eastern EU nations as Brussels blasted Israel's plans for fresh settlements in the West Bank.

The European Commission has expressed concern, but no clear condemnation, of a controversial “nation-state” law passed by the Parliament of Israel. The law states that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country and strips Arabic of the status of an official language.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned of the risk of "conflict" in the standoff with Iran after Tehran announced plans to boost its uranium enrichment capacity as Europe scrambles to save a beleaguered nuclear deal.

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.

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.

Europe should redouble its commitment to critical EU policies grounded in its commitment to international law and a negotiated two-state solution, writes Lara Friedman.

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).

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.

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).

Israel has approved hundreds of new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, an official said yesterday (4 July), in a move denounced by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and likely to further raise tensions following a series of Palestinian attacks.

A bill that opponents say targets Israeli human rights groups critical of Israel's policies towards the Palestinians won initial approval in parliament yesterday (8 February) with the support of right-wing parties.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini called the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday (11 October) and stressed that any reaction to a latest escalation of violence should be proportionate.