Palestine in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
Palestine in July 2026 was shaped first by Hamas's decision to dissolve its governing committee in Gaza. Hamas announced the step on July 7 and completed it on July 8, ahead of a planned technocratic committee, but refused to disarm and said the ball was in the mediators' court. On the same day an official of Trump's Board of Peace announced a pilot humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. Cairo talks on Gaza's future centered on Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal, and UN envoy Mladenov criticized Hamas for refusing to disarm. By month end a Hamas delegation was heading to Cairo for ceasefire talks.
Hamas also changed leaders. On July 20 it named Khalil al-Hayya, previously its lead negotiator with Israel, as political bureau chief, succeeding Yahya Sinwar. Two days later he called for a permanent ceasefire and thanked Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for mediating.
On the international side, the EU and partners launched a $1 billion early-recovery initiative for Gaza on July 13. The US plan for an international force fell far short of the 20,000 troops first sought, with one report putting it at between 10 and 20 soldiers on July 10. On July 26 Israel nonetheless approved an international stabilization force, deciding on contributing countries one by one. The next day Netanyahu told his cabinet he would refuse a US demand to withdraw troops from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
In the West Bank, Israel approved new settlements and granted city status to settlements near Jerusalem and elsewhere; Palestinians and much of the international community view settlements as violating international law. Israel signed a $2.3 billion deal for 12,000 homes. On July 24 Netanyahu ordered new outposts and legalized existing ones after a deadly clash. The Palestinian Authority set legislative elections for November 28, the first since 2006.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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