Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas forms a nine-member constitutional court, which critics claim is packed with Fatah loyalists. “It’s a blatant power grab at a time when he knows he can get away with it,” one expert says.

“Palestinians don’t need the Panama Papers to expose what they see as corruption in the ranks of their leaders — there is visible concrete evidence of it everywhere,” writes Amira Hass.

A group of people close to leading Fatah activist Marwan Barghouti, jailed in Israel for murder, have reached an understanding with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaderships overseas on a comprehensive plan to jointly campaign against the Israeli occupation until it is brought to an end, Palestinian sources told The Times of Israel.

“As a result of its financial crisis, Hamas adopted policies that are increasing Gazans’ suffering and dissatisfaction,” writes Adnan Abu Amer.

Plans for new homes in West Bank settlements were advanced at a faster pace in the first three months of 2016 than in the previous year, according to Peace Now.

Residents of Ras Khamis, located beyond the separation barrier, take matters into their own hands after years of neglect by the municipality.

There is a tragic irony among nongovernmental organizations that work for peace and coexistence: they must fight one another for funding. In a bid to mitigate such tussling as well as to ensure the flow of grant money, over 90 Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian peace-building groups have joined an international umbrella organization, the Alliance for Middle East Peace.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said there is an “urgent” need for a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements, in an interview with AFP ahead of a multi-country diplomatic tour.

“At its core, the reason why Netanyahu and Abbas don’t get along very much is because both men find it difficult to back down from their principles,” writes Daniel DePetris.

“After hearing from over 16,000 displaced families in the Gaza Strip, it is clear that most continue to live in desperate conditions,” Robert Piper, UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid, said in a statement. “International support to end this situation is urgently needed.”