Current Affairs of Palestine

Both Israelis and Palestinians were surprised by the news of the kidnapping of three young israeli settlers on 12 June 2014, near the Gush Etzion settlement in the West Bank, especially because no political or military entity declared responsibility …

In April 2014, the two sides signed a historical reconciliation agreement, later known as the “Beach Camp Agreement.” The parties agreed to form a government of national consensus consisting of 17 ministers, including four from the Gaza Strip.

The latest breakdown in the peace talks between Israel and Palestine has been blamed almost unanimously on the Israelis, even by Israel’s strongest ally, the United States.

When the Syrian protests erupted in March 2011, most Palestinian refugees initially remained on the sidelines, although a small number joined the protests against President Bashar Assad. As the regime began to use heavy violence against protesters …

The freedom of movement, including to travel, work, study, and visit family members abroad, continues to be denied to Palestinians. The ban on movement applies also to travel between Gaza and the West Bank—including East Jerusalem—which are …

The public-health system in Gaza has been severely affected by the Israeli blockade and by the political divide between the West Bank and Gaza. Severe shortages of essential drugs and medical supplies, an unstable power supply and a lack of fuel for …

A report issued in October 2011 by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the Gaza blockade by land, air, and sea is ‘a denial of basic human rights in contravention of international law and amounts to …

Access to the Gaza Strip was monitored through Israel's terminals, but when the Second Intifada broke out in 2000, Israel often closed down the terminals and destroyed Gaza's sea- and airports. Existing tunnels were subsequently upgraded and new ones …

As a result, companies in traditionally pro-Israel states are divesting from Israeli banks and enterprises that do business with and invest in the illegal Jewish settlements in the Palestinian Territories.

s of June 2009, a total of 46 percent of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip was inaccessible or laying waste, following the destruction caused by the Israeli army and air force and the creation of a 'security buffer zone' along the northern and …

On the basis of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian fishermen are allowed to fish within 20 nautical miles off the coast. In 2007, Israel reduced this to 3 nautical miles. The area is patrolled by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) 24-7.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), many medications and specialized, life-saving medical treatments are not available in hospitals in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip's economy has been unable to stand on its own two feet since the June War of 1967. Over the years it became subservient to the Israeli economy, and therefore very vulnerable. Since the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000, the …

An overview of Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails, hunger strikes, and the 2011 prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

Research has shown that many children suffer, to a greater or lesser extent, from psychosomatic disorders which are directly related to the occupation. In recent years, armed conflicts amongst Palestinian factions have added to their distress. The …

After Hamas took power in June 2007, Israel and Egypt increased pressure on the Gaza Strip by closing the border crossings. The import of bare necessities has since stagnated, placing Gaza's 1.6 million inhabitants' well-being under severe duress. A …