Dr Adnan Abu Amer, Middle East Monitor

Hamas surprised us all by announcing the results of its leadership election in the Gaza Strip, which was won by the current leader in the territory, Yahya Sinwar. He beat his strong rival Nizar Awadallah, who collected 147 votes against Sinwar's 167 of the 320 members of the Gaza Shura (Consultative) Council. It took four rounds of voting before there was a clear winner. Questions are […]

The visit of Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla to Israel carried many political and economic implications. The visit resulted in the signing of an agreement between the occupation and Cairo to link the Leviathan gas field with the Egyptian liquefied natural gas facilities via an underwater pipeline, from which gas can be exported to European markets. Israeli circles familiar with El-Molla's visit confirmed […]

A heated debate between Palestinian and Israeli circles surfaced during the past few days after the Jewish National Fund (JNF) announced new plans to expand its settlement projects in the West Bank. The JNF declared a fundamental change in its colonial policy, while the Palestinian Authority (PA) confirmed that it would file an urgent complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Jewish organisation for […]

Immediately after US President Joe Biden's inauguration, Israel started "scrutinising" his ministers and political envoys. It began by categorising each as close or hostile to the Zionist entity, expressing concerns over the Jewish members of the US administration, given their opposing stances to the Israeli right-wing camp. It became clear from the first days of Biden's term that his administration would include more Jews in key […]

With the a new US president in the White House, it is clear that Joe Biden's predecessor targeted occupied Jerusalem by giving Israel the green light to weaken the Palestinian presence in the holy city and place further restrictions on the indigenous population. Palestinian have had their backs to the wall ever since Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem and recognised the city as the […]

An important development has occurred recently in the Palestinian arena and it is related to the increasing talk of holding internal elections, which may take place in the coming weeks, coinciding with the legislative and presidential elections in May and July, and talk about the difficulty of holding two elections within a short period of time. It is true that Hamas is still silent regarding how […]

The Israeli political, security and research decision-making circles have recently shown great interest in the tenth anniversary of the outbreak of the Arab revolutions, warning against the waves of the revolution being revived. This is despite the revolutions seemingly having ended by their ten-year anniversaries. While recent Israeli reports marking the passage of a decade since the outbreak of the Arab Spring revolutions unanimously considered them […]

A positive development has occurred in the form of President Mahmoud Abbas's decrees to hold legislative, presidential and National Council elections in May, July and August this year. They come after Hamas backed down from its insistence on holding the elections simultaneously and agreed to them being held consecutively. Hamas does not appear to be placing any obstacles in the way of the elections, but its […]

With the start of the fourth early elections in Israel, the political scene is witnessing unprecedented rifts and disputes. This could result in the surfacing of an unexpected electoral turnout due to the divisions within the Israeli right and left wings, and the internal differences between party members affiliated with the various political currents. Thus, the Israelis are concerned about a possible internal fragmentation emanating from […]

At the time when the Gulf reconciliation was announced, a number of Israeli positions emerged. Security, military, and political parties close to the decision-making circles in Tel Aviv diverged in their assessment on the reconciliation ranging between different approaches and interpretations. Some Israelis believe the Gulf reconciliation could create a political shield in the Gulf region that may threaten Iran and put pressure on the Palestinians […]

In light of the ongoing wave of normalisation agreements between Arab states and the occupation, Israel is trying to lure Gulf countries, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, with a potential role in supervising the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem. Thus, competing with Jordan and the Palestinians to take over this important task. Israel's move in this direction sparked political tension between the […]

The scandal caused by the photo of Egyptian singer and actor Mohamed Ramadan with Israeli artists is continuously being referred to with reference to the decline in normalisation with the Egyptians, despite the passage of 40 years since the signing of the Camp David Accords. Although only a few weeks have passed since the signing of the agreements with the Gulf countries, within a few months […]

The normalisation agreement between Israel and Morocco — as announced by the US — is nothing really new, but has simply exposed decades of relations between the two countries. These include secret axes, related to Morocco's internal affairs or its relations with neighbouring countries, serving Israel first and foremost with the aim of consolidating its presence in the region. US President Donald Trump tempted King Mohammed […]

As the countdown begins for US President-elect Joe Biden to enter the White House, predictions are rife about the future of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, especially the possibility of curbing settlement projects, as happened during the Obama presidency. There are also predictions that the Israeli settlers will not be given a free rein to steal Palestinian land, which Donald Trump condoned. The settlers' […]

Israel is witnessing urgent developments following the approval to dissolve the Knesset, as well as the start of preparations for the fourth round of early elections within two years, in an unprecedented event in Israel's history. This would be an occasion to discuss the reasons for the disintegration of the government coalition and the motives behind the Likud party's disagreement with its Blue and White partner. […]

Israeli concern over what they describe as the most serious internal crisis that the state has witnessed since its establishment is growing due to the state of division, polarisation and partisan tensions. They have also expressed concern about the effects of these issues including fragmentation of the internal front, the spread of civil war terms, the collapse of the Israeli society and the war of hostility […]

Israeli-Palestinian relations have undergone rapid changes in recent hours after the Palestinian Authority (PA) announced the resumption of security coordination with Israel. The decision consequently prompted Palestinian factions to announce stances condemning this step, warning that it could damage national reconciliation. Meanwhile, the PA's return to security coordination with Israel suggests a number of factors leading to this sudden decision. The first is Joe Biden's victory […]

With the ongoing impasse in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, some new proposals have been published covering an alternative to an independent Palestinian state. This has clearly been done with Biden's victory and the end of the Trump era in mind. The latest of such suggestions is the "United Palestinian Emirates", copying the UAE model in an attempt to ignore a political solution to the Palestinian issue and replace […]

Just like everyone else, Palestinian and Israeli decision-makers are awaiting the official announcement of the result of the US presidential election confirming Democrat Joe Biden's victory. We are also waiting to see how incumbent President Donald Trump is going to react, and if he will make any more executive orders favouring Israel. The Palestinians and Israelis are wondering if the post-Trump US will continue to push […]

The normalisation agreements between Arab countries and Israel have led to louder calls for the US and Israel to establish new political and military alliances in the Middle East, with the aim of confronting hostile camps, especially Qatar, Turkey, Iran and the Palestinian resistance. This resembles the establishment of an Arab-NATO alliance, which might escalate tension and boost the regional arms race, giving the lie to […]

Israel is getting ever more concerned about the result of the US election tomorrow. It fears a win for Democrat candidate Joe Biden and the loss of its ally Donald Trump. In preparation for a Democrat victory, it is seeking closer cooperation with regional countries, greater influence within the Democratic Party, and positive contacts with Biden’s campaign team to negate the possibility of an anti-Israel foreign […]

The Palestinians are still being surprised from time to time by local, regional and international calls and statements calling for the “replacement” of the Palestinian leadership, in conjunction with the wave of normalisation taking place, as a prelude to brining in a leadership that agrees to this path and joins it. The Palestinians are even more surprised when these calls are made by forums and figures, […]

The Israeli calls against the participation of Hamas in the upcoming elections are getting louder, alleging that the involvement of a movement representing a threat to Israel is banned under the Oslo Accords. Thus, anti-Hamas advocates are demanding the Israeli authorities to block the way for the movement’s participation in the election race, by arresting its candidates, banning the elections, and closing voting centres. This position […]

There has been a series of contacts and meetings between Hamas and Russia this year to discuss developments in the Palestinian issue. These included the US deal of the century, Israel’s annexation plan and the dangers of normalisation between Arab countries and the occupation state. In March, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited Moscow to brief Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his officials about reconciliation with Fatah […]

Following the normalisation agreements between Gulf states and Israel, the US administration and the Israeli occupation started talking about the next country in line – Sudan. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been exerting pressure on Khartoum to join the normalisation wave. This comes despite the presence of internal opposition in Sudan, coinciding with the US’ offer to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors […]

At the height of Israel’s preoccupation with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the increased internal criticism of the government’s failure to deal with it and stop its spread, internal protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have intensified, and calls for his resignation have increased. These calls are being made either due to suspicion of corruption on his part, or his failure to adopt a successful […]

It is no secret that Egypt’s role in Palestine has been declining, especially after failing to mediate a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which Qatar did instead. Moreover, the Turkey-sponsored reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah exposed Cairo’s regional decline in favour of Doha and Ankara. Egypt has failed to support the Palestinians on several occasions, despite the fact that Cairo considers the Gaza Strip to […]

Day after day, the magnitude of the Israeli benefits from normalisation with the Gulf become clearer, especially on the military and strategic levels. The latest benefit is talk about establishing Israeli military bases in the Gulf, the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandab, or benefiting from the Emirati bases scattered in these areas, and the military benefits for Israel brought about by controlling these international seaports. The Emirati-Israeli agreement included many […]

At the dawn of the era of political normalisation between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel, Palestinian media circles and journalists have warned against the popular Nas Daily, which millions watch on Facebook and other social media. They have demanded that subscribers should boycott the show, and accuse it of normalising with Israel under UAE auspices. The normalisation agenda aims to train Arab content creators, through the […]

On the 20th anniversary of its outbreak, Israelis still remember Al-Aqsa Intifada and recall the guerrilla operations that shook the pillars of their security, leading many to leave the country. Some areas were turned into ghost towns. The uprising included 10,000 armed attacks which resulted in the death of over 1,000 Israelis. The five years of the intifada are a bloody chapter in Israeli history. The […]

The sixth anniversary of the ending of Israel’s military offensive against Gaza in 2014 was met with escalating tension between Hamas and Israel. There are conflicting readings of the achievements and failures of that offensive, as well as the extent to which the current tension could move to a widespread military confrontation. The 2014 war has not been studied and analysed enough, but one important conclusion […]

Israel is frustrated at its failure to tackle the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement despite the huge budget allocated to the task and the recruitment of pro-Israel activists worldwide to help. The movement continues to flourish in its effort to get Israel to abide by international law. What’s the reason for Israel’s failure? Is it related to financial, political or security issues? What impact […]

There has been a recent increase in security chaos in the West Bank, the latest of which is the killing of some Fatah field leaders by internal fire, in conjunction with the decline in the security control of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which may reinforce the hypothesis of increased incidents of security chaos among its leaders and bodies. In recent weeks, the West Bank has witnessed […]

The rapid development of normalisation of the Emirati-Israeli relations has constituted a truly historic occasion to turn the page after decades of clandestine contact, only then to make them public without shame nor consideration for any Palestinian and Arab response. Abu Dhabi’s haste in an official announcement to normalise its relations with Tel Aviv, without an urgent motivation or need to take this step is surprising, […]

While Israel is commemorating the 15th anniversary of the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, a number of senior Israeli officials have revealed what they are calling new secrets that are coming to light for the first time. These secrets are related to a plan prepared by Ariel Sharon, the then prime minister of Israel, to implement the second part of the disengagement in […]

The possibly temporary postponement of Israel’s annexation of swathes of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley arose out of disagreements from within the Zionist state itself as well as other voices warning of the consequences of such a move. The fear is that Israel will be portrayed even more strongly as an apartheid state, recreating the disgraceful, disgraced and dismantled South African apartheid system. Indeed, […]

In 2005, the Israeli army began withdrawing from the Gaza Strip as part of the unilateral disengagement plan, and with this anniversary many Israeli circles criticised the plan, due to its major disadvantages. Palestinians and Israelis commemorate each summer the anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, amid Israeli fears that similar action will be taken in the occupied West Bank. This could be […]

Recent meetings between representatives of Fatah and Hamas have had major coverage in the Israeli media. They are a source of great concern in case they provide Hamas with political and security cover in the occupied West Bank enabling it to resume resistance operations against Israel if the Palestinian Authority stops its own persecution of the movement. The most recent online meeting was between Jibril Rajoub, […]

Despite the “temporary” delay in announcing the Israeli annexation plan, the Israeli readings remained unchanged, offering a number of scenarios and assessments regarding the implications implementing the plan will have on the relationship with the PA. At the same time, Israeli officials continued their readings and expectations of the implications of the annexation plan and what may result, specifically at the security level. They also mention its […]

Israeli security assessments revealed that the implementation of the annexation process in the West Bank will lead to the return of individual Palestinian attacks, leading to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority. They have not ruled out the scenario of a new intifada because the Palestinian security services may allow the Palestinians to demonstrate and confront the Israeli army in points of friction, but it will […]

A crisis erupted between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the UAE, in light of the PA’s rejection of a medical aid shipment offered by Emirati authorities to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which travelled through Israel’s Ben Gurion airport. The PA stated that the reason behind its refusal to accept the gift was the UAE’s failure to coordinate with the local authorities about the shipment, saying that it […]

The Israeli army is preparing for the annexation of the West Bank, and possible Palestinian responses, although calls for action against the occupation state may not be heeded in the present circumstances. Various factors make it unlikely for the Palestinians to engage in activities against Israel, including the Palestinian Authority’s rejection of armed resistance (President Mahmoud Abbas is ready to thwart attacks against the colonial-settler state), […]

Palestinians recently launched a massive campaign to boycott Israeli social media pages and apps, especially those connected to Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) responsible for communicating with them. COGAT presents itself as a contributor to the betterment of their personal and social activities. The Palestinians, however, view it as a dangerous portal for security and intelligence recruitment. The campaign has so far […]

Palestinians and Israelis are still surprised by the recent guerrilla operation that took place in the town of Ya’bad, on the outskirts of Jenin in the northern part of the West Bank. During the operation, an Israeli soldier from the elite Golani Brigade was killed when a young Palestinian threw a large stone at him, killing him instantly. The element of surprise among Palestinians and Israelis […]

Mohammad Shtayyeh is finishing his first year as Palestinian Prime Minister, but he faces several challenges, most notably the coronavirus pandemic in the occupied West Bank, which is taking a dangerous turn after the daily increase in cases of infection. He is also facing the Palestinian Authority’s financial crisis following the fall of domestic revenue and foreign aid, as well as Israel’s refusal to hand over […]

Mohammed Nazzal, a member of the Hamas political bureau, revealed for the first time the details of the meeting between the movement’s leaders and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in 2015. He also revealed that the previous two Saudi monarchs donated millions of riyals to the movement, and that it continues its communications with Saudi Arabia to release dozens of its members detained since […]