Gaza Strip

Dozens of Israeli settlers on May 24 forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem for the second day in a row after a hiatus of three weeks, according to a Palestinian agency.

The U.N. Security Council on May 22 welcomed announcement of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and urged full adherence to the truce.

The ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza was holding on May 22, as humanitarian aid began to enter the Israeli-blockaded enclave ravaged by 11 days of bloodshed.

As thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their homes, and Israelis began to resume normal life on Friday, international focus turned to the reconstruction of the bomb-shattered Gaza Strip.

The Turkish foreign minister and his U.S. counterpart discussed bilateral and regional issues in a phone call on May 21.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Antony Blinken discussed the U.N. General Assembly meeting on Palestine, as well as developments following a cease-fire announcement in Gaza, according to diplomatic sources.

Bulgarian writer Georgi Bardarov's novel Absolvo Te, which means "forgiveness of all sins", is among the winners of the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL). The novel was published in 2020. It intertwines the threads of several conflicts that still smoulder today.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu brushed aside on May 20 "both sides" arguments for the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine, maintaining Tel Aviv is the sole responsible party.

Speaking during a U.N. General Assembly session on the situation in Israel and Palestine, Çavuşoğlu said blame must be assigned "where it belongs."

A "mutual and simultaneous" cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas reached with Egypt mediation took effect at 2 a.m. on May 21. (23.00GMT Thursday)

The Israeli Security Cabinet voted to end attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip that began May 10 and accept the cease-fire, according to media reports.

Merkel reiterated that Germany supports Israel's right to self-defense, stressing that Berlin sees the IDF's "massive action" as the "right" thing to do. The German chancellor, however, does not believe that it will help achieve lasting peace in the region.

A senior Hamas official predicted a ceasefire within days after U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a "de-escalation" in the fighting.

Biden talked on the telephone May 19 with Netanyahu and conveyed his expectation that tensions would be drastically reduced during the day on the road to a cease-fire.

Turkey will continue its efforts against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has never been "any friend of ours," the nation's president said on May 19.