France’s Macron Faces Dilemma With Intention to Recognize Palestinian State

The French-Israeli relationship has always been turbulent, but the prospect that President Emmanuel Macron may recognize a Palestinian state has brought tension to a new level.

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Palestinian Authority President Says Hamas Must Exit Gaza

Mahmoud Abbas gave assurances to President Emmanuel Macron of France, who has set conditions for possible recognition of a Palestinian state at a U.N. conference next week.

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Israel Bars Arab Foreign Ministers From High-Level West Bank Visit

The trip had been planned for Sunday ahead of a June conference, backed by France and Saudi Arabia, to urge the creation of a Palestinian state.

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Lebanon Moves to Disarm Palestinian Groups, a Test Run for Hezbollah

After war with Israel weakened Iran-backed militias across the Middle East, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Lebanon’s government has moved to assert its authority over armed groups.

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U.S. to Downgrade Palestinian Affairs Office in Jerusalem, Officials Say

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, plans to shut down a direct communications channel between U.S. diplomats in Jerusalem working on Palestinian issues and agencies in Washington.

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Palestinian Leader Abbas Appoints Hussein al-Sheikh as Deputy Amid Succession Fears

For many ordinary Palestinians, the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh was emblematic of how out-of-touch the leadership of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority has become.

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Rubio Visits Israel as Trump Pushes Plan to Expel Palestinians From Gaza

Scholars of international law say President Trump’s proposal for American control of a Gaza without Palestinians would be ethnic cleansing and a war crime.

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In Overture to Trump, Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas Ends Payments for Prisoners

The United States and Israel have long condemned the payment of stipends to families of Palestinian prisoners involved in attacks on Israel.

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Trump’s Gaza Plan Has Many Pitfalls, Hamas Among the Biggest

President Trump’s proposal to “own” Gaza and transfer its population elsewhere has stirred condemnation and sarcasm, but it is an opening bid and could disrupt a tired diplomatic paradigm.

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Palestinian Authority Temporarily Bans Al-Jazeera

The authority’s official news media accused the Qatari-backed broadcaster of “inciting sedition” and “interfering in internal Palestinian affairs,” though it did not provide detailed examples of law breaking.

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