European Commission: Joint Research Centre, Bongiardo, D., Chiaramello, D., Dara, A., Cortinovis, R. et al., Atlas of migration 2024, Bongiardo, D.(editor), Dara, A.(editor), Crespi, I.(editor) and Sofos, I.(editor), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The Atlas of Migration is more than just a publication—it is a testament to the power of data and rigorous analysis in illuminating the multifaceted nature of migratory movements. The 2024 edition of the Atlas continues to serve as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers and the public at large, offering a wealth of data to cut through the confusion and misinformation that often surrounds the discourse on migration. The Atlas provides the latest harmonised and validated data on migration for the 27 EU Member States and for 171 countries and territories around the world. It brings together data from many reliable sources, such as Eurostat, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, the World Bank and many others. This year’s thematic chapter of the Atlas delves into the nuanced motivations behind migration, moving beyond simplified narratives in favour of a more comprehensive view that acknowledges the diverse and often overlapping reasons that propel individuals to move.

Immenkamp, B., European Parliament, 2023.

Die Palästinensische Exekutivbehörde (oder Palästinensische Behörde) ist das Leitungsgremium der autonomen palästinensischen Regionen Westjordanland und Gazastreifen, das 1994 im Rahmen des zwischen Israel und der Palästinensischen Befreiungsorganisation (PLO) abgeschlossenen Friedensabkommens von Oslo gegründet wurde. Die Beziehungen zwischen der Palästinensischen Behörde und Israel sind besonders angespannt, insbesondere seit dem Amtsantritt der neuen israelischen Regierung im Dezember 2022. Die Palästinensische Behörde sieht sich aufgrund der wachsenden Unzufriedenheit in den Reihen der Palästinenser mit einer Legitimitätskrise konfrontiert. Das Europäische Parlament wird voraussichtlich auf seiner Plenartagung im Juli über den Entwurf von Empfehlungen zu den Beziehungen der EU zur Palästinensischen Behörde abstimmen.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, Ecosystems of hate speech online in the EU related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Understanding the spread and impact of hate speech across different platforms and accounts is a powerful tool holding platforms accountable, informing policy interventions, and safeguarding civil discourse.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Die Europäische Union war seit jeher der größte internationale Geber für die palästinensische Bevölkerung. Darüber hinaus leistet die EU seit dem Jahr 2000 bedürftigen Palästinenserinnen und Palästinensern humanitäre Hilfe. Die schrecklichen Terroranschläge der Hamas gegen Israel und ihre Folgen haben eine katastrophale humanitäre Lage für die Bevölkerung im Gazastreifen nach sich gezogen. Die EU reagierte, indem sie ihre Soforthilfe für die palästinensische Bevölkerung verdreifacht hat, und sie unterstützt zahlreiche humanitäre Partner vor Ort.

Immenkamp, B., European Parliament, 2023.

The Palestinian National Authority (or Palestinian Authority - PA), is the governing body of the Palestinian autonomous regions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, established in 1994 as part of the Oslo Accords peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Relations between the PA and Israel are particularly tense, especially since the new Israeli government took office in December 2022. The PA faces a crisis of legitimacy due to growing dissatisfaction among Palestinians. The European Parliament is expected to vote on draft recommendations on the EU's relations with the PA during its July plenary session.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Communication, EU support to Palestinians, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2775/7681065

The European Union is fully committed to a Two-State Solution, with Israel and a Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security. Following Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing conflict, the EU has been engaged in diplomatic efforts in the region and internationally to contribute to finding a way out of the cycle of violence. Since 2023, the EU has significantly increased humanitarian assistance to Gaza, reaching over €450 million. Moreover, since 2023 our Humanitarian Air Bridge operation has delivered over 4,700 tonnes of aid. In July 2024, the Commission announced an emergency financial support of €400 million to the Palestinian Authority, which was disbursed between July 2024 and February 2025.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations and ADE, Evaluation of the EU’s cooperation with Palestine 2014-2021 – Final evaluation report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2876/3500351

This is the Final Report of the Evaluation of the European Union (EU) Cooperation with Palestine. It was commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR). The evaluation has both a retrospective and a prospective dimension. It aims at assessing the performance of the EU financial assistance to Palestine, and to provide strategic recommendations on future EU action and implementation of the European Joint Strategy (EJS). The evaluation covers support provided over the period 2014-2021.

Lisiecka, J., European Union Institute for Security Studies, 2017.

Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, one of the cornerstones of the Oslo Accords, appears to be under threat. What are the reasons behind the current crisis and what could happen if this cooperation falls apart?

Napolitano, P. and Hakala, P., European Parliament, 2012.

The city of Jerusalem has a special meaning for Jews, Muslims and Christians. In East Jerusalem and its environs, the year 2011 will be recorded as the year of the greatest expansion of Israeli settlements since 1967. In general, the question of Jerusalem represents one of the most sensitive and complex red lines of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. For Palestinians, East Jerusalem — al-Quds — is to be the capital of the future Palestinian State. For Israelis, the entirety of Jerusalem —Yerushaláyim — is the sole and indivisible capital of the Jewish State. Given the intractable nature of the dispute and its social, economic and religious implications, multiple attempts at negotiations have stalled over the question of Jerusalem, and there is little sign of change on the horizon. The Israeli policy of severing political, economic and social links between the West Bank and East Jerusalem has caused a serious deterioration in Palestinian living conditions. The EU should take effective action on this issue by promoting its policy of Jerusalem as the open capital of two coexisting and peaceful States.

Wrange, P. and Helaoui, S., European Parliament, 2015.

Situations of occupation are often among the most difficult conflicts to resolve, in particular if the occupied territory is also illegally annexed. Legally speaking, an illegally annexed territory is occupied. Third parties (like the EU) have an obligation to not recognise an illegal annexation and to not assist in the continued occupation and annexation. An occupying power has limited authority over the occupied territory under international humanitarian law (IHL), but has nevertheless an obligation to respect not only IHL but also international human rights law. The EU has so far not adopted a consistent policy in these cases, but there are elements of good practice that can be used. A future EU policy should be based on non-recognition – as has been the case with regard to Crimea. The EU and its member states should refuse to recognise legislative and other changes in the occupied territory, they should refrain from engaging in economic and other activities that sustain the occupation and they should seriously consider sanctions against the responsible government.

Levy, D., Hassan, Z., Cohen-Hadria, E., et al., European Parliament, 2023.

The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has been an issue of strategic and common interest for the European Union (EU) and the United States (USA). The Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) was initiated through the 1991 Madrid Conference co-sponsored by the Soviet Union and the USA. However, the most recent developments, such as the clashes in Gaza and the acts of violence in the West Bank that began in the summer of 2022, demonstrate that despite the numerous initiatives of international actors, these efforts have failed. Against this background, this study recommends how the EU should act regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to regain influence over the Middle East Peace Process and recover legitimacy on the global scene.

Immenkamp, B., European Parliament, 2023.

L’Autorité nationale palestinienne (ou Autorité palestinienne) est l’organe directeur des régions autonomes palestiniennes de Cisjordanie et de la bande de Gaza. Elle a été créée en 1994 dans le cadre des accords d’Oslo conclus entre Israël et l’Organisation de libération de la Palestine (OLP). Les relations entre l’Autorité palestinienne et Israël sont extrêmement tendues, en particulier depuis l’entrée en fonction du nouveau gouvernement israélien en décembre 2022. L’Autorité palestinienne est confrontée à une crise de légitimité en raison du mécontentement croissant des Palestiniens. Le Parlement européen devrait mettre aux voix des projets de recommandations sur les relations de l’UE avec l’Autorité palestinienne lors de la période de session de juillet.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025.

L’Union européenne a toujours été le principal donateur international en faveur du peuple palestinien. L’UE apporte en outre une aide humanitaire aux Palestiniens dans le besoin depuis l’an 2000. Les terribles attentats terroristes perpétrés par le Hamas contre Israël et leurs conséquences ont conduit à une situation humanitaire désastreuse pour la population de Gaza. L’UE a réagi en triplant son aide d’urgence au peuple palestinien et soutient de nombreux partenaires humanitaires sur le terrain.

Grajewski, M., European Parliament, 2023.

Early on 7 October 2023, Hamas – the Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip – launched an unprecedented and brutal assault on Israel, killing more than 1 400, mostly civilians, and taking more than 222 Israelis and dual-nationals hostage. Israel has responded by shelling and conducting airstrikes on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, a narrow coastal strip of 2.3 million people, leading to a significant number of casualties, including civilians. Israel has also amassed troops along the border with Gaza, in anticipation of a ground invasion of the Hamas-controlled enclave. Israel’s goal is to destroy Hamas infrastructure and eliminate the group’s military capabilities.

Lazarou, E., European Parliament, 2016.

The Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza is one of the fastest growing in the world and its demand for water is increasing. Access and distribution of water in these territories has been an issue within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 1967. In 1995, the Oslo II Accord adopted a quantitative approach to the water issue, detailing the quantities to be allocated to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, but did not sufficiently take into account the natural, political and socio-economic developments that have affected water supply and demand in the region since. Economic disparities, lack of substantial and sufficient infrastructure and of effective water resources management, compounded by pollution and climate change have led to disproportionate allocation of water and to substantial depletion and contamination of water resources.