Israel / Palestine

As violence mounts between Israelis and Palestinians, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday called for an end to the “illogic of escalation”, appealing for leaders to urgently work to resolve their decades-long conflict. 

The Israeli military has launched air raids on the besieged Gaza Strip, as fears over escalating violence continue in the region.

More than 150 Palestinians and over 20 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and Israel so far in 2022 - the highest number of deaths in years, UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland told the Security Council on Monday. He reiterated deep concern over the high levels of violence in the past several months, characterized by clashes, protests, attacks, Israeli security operations and other incidents. 

Air raids on Gaza come in a week where 10 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Conflict between Israelis and Palestinians “is again reaching a boiling point”, the UN Middle East envoy told the Security Council on Monday, warning of escalating violence amid a stalled peace process. 

The veteran politician comes back with what is expected to be the country’s most right-wing coalition.

The leaders of rival Palestinian groups are meeting in Algeria for two-day talks aimed at discussing a proposal for reconciliation and national unity. The proposal was drawn up after “months of effort by Algeria to reach a common vision for boosting the Palestinian national action”, Palestinian ambassador Fayez Abu Aita said on Saturday.

Essential Middle East examines whether social media companies aid in Israel’s digital occupation of Palestine.

Representatives from the European Union and Israel held high-level talks on Monday for the first time in a decade. The EU said it would press Israel on stalled peace efforts and the situation in the Palestinian territories during the talks in Brussels.

Twenty-four UN-appointed independent human rights experts condemned on Wednesday, Israel’s escalating attacks against Palestinian civil society in the occupied West Bank, describing it as “illegal and unacceptable”.