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Jordan King to Visit Ramallah to Ease Tension Ahead of Ramadan

Israeli forces prevent Palestinians from reaching their lands near Ramallah (Wafa)
Israeli forces prevent Palestinians from reaching their lands near Ramallah (Wafa)
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Jordan King to Visit Ramallah to Ease Tension Ahead of Ramadan

Israeli forces prevent Palestinians from reaching their lands near Ramallah (Wafa)
Israeli forces prevent Palestinians from reaching their lands near Ramallah (Wafa)

Jordan's King Abdullah II will visit Ramallah soon to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in an attempt to contain a possible escalation during Ramadan month, according to the official Kan Channel.

Kan said that the monarch plans to come to Ramallah on the eve of Ramadan and meet Abbas, who will have returned from a visit to Germany.

The last time the Jordanian king visited Ramallah was five years ago.

The report stated that Amman fears new escalations and tensions during Ramadan, especially in Jerusalem.

The issue was a top priority on King Abdullah's agenda when he hosted Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid last week in Amman.

"We agreed that we must work together to calm tensions and promote understanding, particularly in the lead-up to the month of Ramadan and Passover," Lapid said in a statement after the meeting.

A PA official asserted that the Authority has no interest in escalation, but Israel is pushing for it. He noted that Tel Aviv said it was trying to ensure calm, but nothing has been implemented on the ground.

The official stated that if Israel wanted to prevent any escalation, it must prevent Jews from entering the Temple Mount throughout Ramadan month, even though it will coincide with the Jewish Passover.

Israel tends to allow settlers to storm al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan month.

On Tuesday, Israeli Minister of Internal Security Omar Bar-Lev said that Jews would be allowed to enter the Temple Mount during Ramadan.

Bar-Lev said Jews will be free to enter the Temple Mount as always, and Palestinian political and religious officials issued calls to mobilize and protect al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

Palestinian worshipers usually stay in the al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan month and refuse to allow extremist Jews, which could lead to severe escalations.

Hamas said that the Palestinian people could defend Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque.

The movement's politburo member, Harun Nassereddine, stressed that the occupation would not be able to pass its plans against Jerusalem and the Mosque as long as the resistance is ready to confront it.

Earlier, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad issued a joint statement warning there would be dire consequences if extremist Jewish groups dared to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque to celebrate the Purim festival.

Violent clashes erupted near Ramallah between the Israeli army and Palestinian demonstrators, in which 54 civilians were injured after security forces stormed the Qalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem.

The West Bank witnessed a series of operations in the past few weeks, which reinforced previous Israeli assessments about the possibility of a significant escalation during the coming three months.

In a meeting, senior security officials decided to reinforce the police and security forces in all Palestinian areas.

Last week, the head of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar discussed in Washington with the FBI Director Christopher Wray and senior officials the situation in the Palestinian territories.

Bar warned of a possible security escalation during Ramadan month.

Channel 12 warned that the coinciding Jewish and Palestinian religious and national events could lead to tensions and escalations.

The increased Israeli assessments have prompted the army to increase its arrest campaigns in the West Bank in recent weeks, aiming to limit reasons for possible intensifications.

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Arab World

How Will Hamas Handle the Requirements of the Legislative Elections?

A member of the Fatah movement attends the 8th General Conference of Fatah, at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A member of the Fatah movement attends the 8th General Conference of Fatah, at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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How Will Hamas Handle the Requirements of the Legislative Elections?

A member of the Fatah movement attends the 8th General Conference of Fatah, at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A member of the Fatah movement attends the 8th General Conference of Fatah, at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

With Hamas announcing its intention to contest the legislative elections, scheduled for November 28, as stipulated in a Palestinian presidential decree, the movement faces a host of questions over its ability to navigate the political requirements of the post-war phase in the Gaza Strip.

This will be Hamas's second participation in legislative elections following the last vote in 2006. The war has fundamentally altered the reality of Palestinians and triggered further conflicts in several countries across the region.

Perhaps the most pressing question in recent days is how Hamas will deal with the amendments introduced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the election law, particularly the requirement that electoral lists commit to the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

That program includes recognition of relevant international legitimacy resolutions, including recognition of Israel and the renunciation of violence, along with other conditions the movement had previously rejected.

A Hamas political source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement is in contact with all factions to reach a comprehensive consensus on the elections and ensure the participation of all parties without imposing unilateral policies in determining the political objectives of the national framework.

Asked about Hamas's plans for overcoming the dispute over the PLO's political program, the source said there are legal and political options, alongside national dialogue, for reaching agreement on a course of action that could circumvent such a requirement. The source added that Hamas is committed to reforming the PLO and the Palestinian National Council before joining them, so that their programs are brought into line with national requirements under the current circumstances.

He noted that messages are being exchanged with Fatah, both directly and indirectly, on a range of national issues, expressing hope that an understanding can be reached that brings Palestinians closer together and steers them toward safety.

The source stressed that the developments in Gaza had increased the popularity of Hamas and the armed factions that share its approach of "resisting the occupation." As a result, the movement is not afraid of electoral competition, even if it loses or remains in opposition. He stressed that Hamas has no intention of returning to power, but wants to be part of the Palestinian political system and put an end to unilateral decision-making on issues of national consequence.

Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the principle of imposing political conditions on electoral participation is unacceptable regardless of the wording or substance, because it contradicts the very essence of elections, which is competition among different political programs.

Badran said Hamas is holding consultations and dialogue with various factions as well as emerging electoral lists to agree on a collective mechanism for addressing the issue. He said some parties had already begun, in coordination with Hamas, sending messages to the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, while others are considering turning to the Palestinian judiciary.

"We will follow the matter and reach what is appropriate, but on the basis of participating in the elections," he said.

Fatah in Gaza

A senior Fatah source in the Gaza Strip told Asharq Al-Awsat that President Abbas's decisions regarding the latest amendments would not be reversed, and that they enjoy full support as part of the reform plan adopted by the Palestinian Authority with full Arab and international backing.

According to the source, who requested anonymity, Hamas and any Palestinian faction or entity participating in the forthcoming elections, in which the Gaza Strip will take part under arrangements established by the Central Elections Commission, must comply with the amended laws. He said the decisions were not intended to restrict the participation of any faction, whether affiliated with the PLO or outside it. Rather, their primary objective was to ensure that every future parliamentary force has a clear political program.

Abdel Fattah Doleh, the Fatah spokesman in Ramallah, said any party has the right to participate in the forthcoming elections, a right guaranteed by Palestinian law, which must be observed by every party taking part in the electoral process.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Doleh said there have been no genuine direct contacts with Hamas regarding the elections. He noted that Hamas had previously participated in elections and became part of the political system before turning against it and monopolizing power.

He added that Fatah had repeatedly sought, during previous rounds of dialogue, to integrate Hamas into the PLO, but that the movement had raised objections each time.

Doleh stressed that the political system has room for everyone, but said it is essential that anyone participating in it adhere to the PLO's political program, given its status as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians. He emphasized that Hamas must align itself with that framework.

Arab World

US Wants Netanyahu to Condemn Settler Siege in Palestinian Village

Soldiers evacuate Israeli settlers before dismantling their tent in front of one of the three homes belonging to Palestinian families besieged by settlers for six days in Qusra (AP)
Soldiers evacuate Israeli settlers before dismantling their tent in front of one of the three homes belonging to Palestinian families besieged by settlers for six days in Qusra (AP)
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US Wants Netanyahu to Condemn Settler Siege in Palestinian Village

Soldiers evacuate Israeli settlers before dismantling their tent in front of one of the three homes belonging to Palestinian families besieged by settlers for six days in Qusra (AP)
Soldiers evacuate Israeli settlers before dismantling their tent in front of one of the three homes belonging to Palestinian families besieged by settlers for six days in Qusra (AP)

The United States wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn a siege imposed by Jewish settlers in a Palestinian village, US and Israeli officials said on Friday, as settlers pressured residents by pitching a new tent before Israeli soldiers arrived and it was taken down.

Settlers have been besieging homes in Qusra in the occupied West Bank for almost a week, trapping Palestinians in an area where rights groups say settlers are mounting a concerted effort to seize more land, further eating into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state.

The siege has drawn public US criticism: the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee — a strong supporter of Jewish settlement in the West Bank — on Thursday condemned settlers besieging a Palestinian home as "Israeli terrorists".

A US official and an Israeli official said on Friday White House officials are pressing Netanyahu to publicly condemn the siege.

Washington began to protest after learning that the home of a Palestinian-American was among those under siege, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions, of which they had knowledge.

Netanyahu has not commented on the siege in Qusra. Neither his office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.

Settler violence in the West Bank has risen during the three years since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel.

Condemning settlers could be politically risky for Netanyahu some two months before an election, potentially upsetting settler voters upon whom parts of his right-wing coalition rely. Opinion polls show Netanyahu could lose power, his security credentials still shaken by the 2023 Hamas attacks.

"We are very afraid," said Aysha Hassan, a Palestinian woman who lives in one of three besieged homes in the village, speaking to Reuters by phone.

"There is nothing new. It's been like this for six days...the settlers are still here."

Hassan said she had seen settlers below the house in the early hours of the morning and shared videos with Reuters showing groups of settlers wandering underneath her home that she said she had taken from her window.

The United Nations has said some 15 Palestinians, including two children, were trapped inside their homes with no water or electricity.

Footage shot by a Palestinian resident trapped in another of the besieged homes and obtained by Reuters showed seven settlers outside, standing near a blue tent. One is seen throwing stones toward the nearby village, as another arrives with chairs.

Israeli army vehicles and soldiers later arrive and the tent is seen collapsed on the ground.

"Israeli civilians erected a tent in the Qusra area, and army soldiers operated to remove it while protecting the local residents," the Israeli military said in a statement, a day after dozens of troops were sent into Qusra and occupied several village homes.

Netanyahu's government, the most right-wing in Israeli history, has spearheaded a rapid expansion of settlements in the West Bank, territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war. Israel has established dozens of new settlements and settler outposts in the area.

Rights groups say that settlers have been trying to seize properties on the outskirts of Qusra and neighbouring Jalud as part of a strategy to seize the land between them and join it up with settler outposts to the south and larger settlements to the west.

Arab World

Jared Kushner to Visit Israel and Egypt Next Week with Board of Peace Officials to Talk Gaza

Trump envoy Jared Kushner at the Lake Lucerne Summit at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler, Pool Photo via AP)
Trump envoy Jared Kushner at the Lake Lucerne Summit at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler, Pool Photo via AP)
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Jared Kushner to Visit Israel and Egypt Next Week with Board of Peace Officials to Talk Gaza

Trump envoy Jared Kushner at the Lake Lucerne Summit at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler, Pool Photo via AP)
Trump envoy Jared Kushner at the Lake Lucerne Summit at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler, Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner will travel to the Middle East next week to try to advance plans for an end to the conflict in Gaza after a deal recently announced by the Trump administration ran into Israeli opposition.

An official with the Board of Peace, the body Trump established to oversee the fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said Kushner, board high representative Nickolay Mladenov, and executive board member and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would arrive in Israel on Sunday.

The group will then travel to Cairo, where meetings of a Palestinian technocratic group set to assume control of Gaza under a US-brokered ceasefire deal have been taking place for the past several months, the official said. The trip was reported earlier by Axios.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because planning for details of the trip has not yet been finalized, said the meetings would demonstrate the determination of Trump and the Board of Peace to “see peace, prosperity and sustainable security emerge” in a demilitarized Gaza where Hamas has ceded control to allow reconstruction of the devastated territory.

But Israel has dismissed a recent deal announced by Trump for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from the Palestinian territory, marking a rare public display of friction with the Trump administration. Though Hamas accepted the plan to decommission its weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in recent days that Israel would not withdraw until Hamas has completely disarmed.

The deal had been seen as a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza. The agreement was based on an October ceasefire that ended major military operations and brought about the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, but it has stalled on other fronts.