In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack a Jordanian aid convoy, dumping aid on the ground and damaging trucks. Israeli forces raid Qusra, firing tear gas at Palestinians protesting the raid, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolish a home and a water well in Burin and issue stop-work orders for 3 other homes. Elsewhere, Israeli forces place barbed wire around the entrances to 2 homes in the Old City of Hebron. Israeli forces also arrest 26 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tubas, Nablus, Jericho, and Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 30 settlers while clearing a settlement outpost near the Ofra settlement. PA forces shoot and kill a member of Islamic Jihad in Tulkarm. Islamic Jihad says the PA killed the man on behalf of Israel. 3 schools in Hebron’s Old City open for the first time since 10/7/2023 after Israel allows teachers to gain access to area H2. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Rafah, killing at least 33 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Marwahin, Ayta ash Shaab, and Tayr Harfa. Hezbollah forces launch anti-tank guided missiles at a home in Shtula. Hezbollah forces also fire rockets at Metulla and Kafrchouba. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/1; AJ, HA, REU 5/2)
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More than 34,568 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,765 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,602 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 253 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Aid begins to enter Gaza through the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing. The Palestinian and Kuwaiti Red Crescent Societies begin constructing a field hospital in Mawasi. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/1; UNRWA 5/3)
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UNOCHA says a Palestinian boy was injured on 4/29 when he opened a booby-trapped can of food from aid supplies. The agency says many Palestinians have been injured from aid supplies rigged with hidden explosive charges. (UNOCHA 5/1; AJ 5/2)
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The Commission for Detainee’s Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, and Addameer issue a joint statement, saying that around 1,000 Palestinian workers from Gaza who were in Israel on 10/7/2023 are still missing. (AJ 5/1)
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UNOCHA says Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians and their property more than 800 times since 10/7/2023, resulting in the killing of 31 Palestinians, 500 injuries, and the vandalization of 80 homes, 450 vehicles, and 11,700 trees. 1,765 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli home demolitions during the same period. (AJ, UNOCHA 5/1)
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Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri says U.S. secretary of State Antony Blinken is misleading the public on who is to blame for the delay in reaching a ceasefire agreement, adding the Israeli negotiating team has admitted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is responsible for the delay. Abu Zuhri also calls Blinken the foreign minister of Israel. (AJ, HA, REU 5/1)
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An Israeli court rejects an appeal by Palestinian political prisoner Marwan Barghouti, who is held in solitary confinement, to receive hygiene equipment, magazines, an electric kettle, a television, and access to buy groceries. Barghouti said in his appeal that he has been attacked in his cell until he lost consciousness. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s sister Sabah Haniyeh is moved from an Israeli prison to house arrest. Sabah was arrested on 4/1 on accusations of incitement and identification with a “terror group.” (AJ, HA, HA 5/1)
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The Israeli military says that about 1,000 soldiers are stationed in the West Bank, down from about 8,000 last year, while an agreement between the military and settler leaders will allow more settlers to carry arms. Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi says Israel is “preparing for an offensive in the north” during a visit near the Lebanese border. (HA, REU 5/1)
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Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan says his country will intervene in the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, saying “Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all circumstances.” (AJ, REU, WAFA 5/1; WAFA 5/2)
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Secretary Blinken meets with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu reportedly tells Blinken that he will not accept a ceasefire deal that ends the war on Gaza and that Israel will invade Rafah if Hamas does not accept the terms of the temporary ceasefire deal. Blinken tells Netanyahu that a Rafah invasion would diminish chances of a ceasefire deal to free captives and impact U.S. efforts to secure a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Herzog tells Blinken that the reported ICC investigation into Israeli leaders is a “clear and present danger to all democracies and to free and peace-loving nations.” Axios reports that a group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators held a virtual meeting with ICC officials, telling them that the court should not issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials. Netanyahu reportedly spoke to some of the senators before the meeting. Axios also reports that the Israeli government has warned the U.S. that it will retaliate against the PA if the ICC issues arrest warrants for Israelis. The Guardian reports that Saudi Arabia has drafted a plan that excludes normalization with Israel but still allows for a U.S.-Saudi defense pact and U.S. help with creating a Saudi nuclear program in case Israel refuses to end its war on Gaza and work toward a Palestinian state. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, AX, GDN, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 5/1; AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 5/2)
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Colombian president Gustavo Petro says his country will sever ties with Israel over its war on Gaza. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz calls Petro “hate-filled and anti-Semitic.” (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 5/1; HA, WAFA 5/2; AP 5/3)
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At the UN Security Council, U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Woods defends the U.S. decision to veto Palestine’s bid for full UN membership, citing Hamas’s influence in Gaza and the U.S. assertion that Palestinian statehood is a bilateral matter between Israel and Palestine, making Palestinian statehood an issue for Israel to approve. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls on countries that have not recognized the State of Palestine to do so, saying “[t]hose who want to destroy a Palestinian state and with it any chance of peace are not waiting.” (AJ 5/1)
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The U.S. House of Representatives pass a bill 320-91 that would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The IHRA definition conflates anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. 57 House Democrats send a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to withhold offensive military aid to prevent an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AP, REU, WAFA 5/1; AJ 5/2)
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U.S. police arrests pro-Palestinian protesters at university campuses throughout the U.S., including several at the University of Arizona, 20 at Northern Arizona University, more than 12 at the University of Wisconsin, and more than 20 at the University of Texas at Dallas. (AJ, AJ 5/1; AJ 5/2)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Qusra. Israeli settlers also bring livestock to graze on farmland and attack homes in Arab Milehat. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling northeast of Ramallah, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man and vandalize vehicles during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Anabta. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian-owned building and 2 shacks in Hizma. Israeli forces also seize a bulldozer in al-Mughayyir. Meanwhile, 15 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Jalazone refugee camp, Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, 163 settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, killing at least 28 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy at the Kuwaiti Roundabout in Gaza City, killing the driver of an aid truck and injuring several others. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shaab. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli targets in Kfarchouba and Shebaa Farms. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb a Syrian military building near Damascus, injuring 8 soldiers. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/2; WAFA 5/3)
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More than 34,596 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,816 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,602 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 252 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, REU, WAFA 5/2; UNRWA 5/3)
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2 Palestinians are pronounced dead while in Israeli detention, including 50-year-old Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, the head of the orthopedic department at al-Shifa Hospital. Al-Bursh was arrested in December at al-Adwa Hospital and Israel says he died on 4/19. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society say the deaths are a result of torture and medical neglect. At least 496 workers in the Gaza health sector have been killed, 1,500 injured, and 309 are held in Israeli detention. The National Campaign to Retrieve the Bodies of the Martyrs says Israel is withholding the bodies of 500 Palestinians. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/2; AP 5/3)
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The UN Development Programme (UNDP) says Palestinian GDP has contracted by 25% since 10/7/2023 and that it will cost $30-40 billion and take up to 80 years to reconstruct Gaza. UNDP says 370,000 housing units have been damaged, including 79,000 that have been destroyed. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/2)
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Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate director Abbas Kamal in separate phone calls, discussing ceasefire negotiations. A statement by Hamas says it will send a delegation to Egypt to continue talks. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/2)
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PA ambassador to Egypt Diab al-Louh says around 100,000 Palestinian have fled Gaza to Egypt and that the PA is seeking temporary status for the refugees. PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Greek foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis in a phone call. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 5/2)
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Turkey says it has ended all exports and imports to and from Israel, citing the situation in Gaza. Turkish officials say the country’s new policy will remain until a permanent ceasefire is secured. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU 5/2; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/3)
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Trinidad and Tobago announces that it has recognized the State of Palestine, becoming the 141th UN member to do so. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/3)
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U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. is close to reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, adding Saudi Arabia has 2 demands, calm in Gaza and a path to an independent Palestinian state. (HA 5/2)
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German chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AJ, AP, HA 5/2)
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Haaretz and Amnesty International report that 4 Israeli spyware companies, including NSO Group, Candiru, Wintgo, and Intellexa, have sold their technology to Indonesia since 2018. Indonesia has recently moved toward recognizing and normalizing ties with Israel as part of an Israeli-imposed requirement for the country to join the OECD. (HA 5/2)
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47 NGOs and humanitarian organizations send a letter to U.S. president Joe Biden warning of an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ 5/3)
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Palestinian journalists in Gaza are awarded the UNESCO World Press Freedom prize. (AJ 5/3)
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U.S. police raid a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of California in Los Angeles, firing flashbangs and rubber-coated bullets at protesters. Police also arrest 90 protesters at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and 12 protesters at Portland State University in Oregon. At Portland State University, a man is arrested after driving his car toward protesters and pepper spraying students. AP reports that at least 2,000 protesters have been arrested at 30 universities in the U.S. since 4/18. President Biden addresses the nationwide protests, saying they will not change his administration’s policies toward Israel and condemning property damage and alleged anti-Semitic language used during the protests. Israeli president Isaac Herzog calls the American protesters anti-Semitic. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 5/2; AJ, AP 5/3)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Zeita. Israeli forces also raid Khirbet al-Dayr in the Jordan Valley, preventing farmers from irrigating their fields with water from a spring. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians during a raid in Jaba’. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their 3 shops in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Maghazi, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 26 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kfar Kila, Maroun al-Ras, Bint Jbeil, and Aitaroun. Hezbollah forces attack Kfarchouba. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/3; UNOCHA 5/6)
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More than 34,622 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,867 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 340 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/3; UNRWA 5/6)
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World Food Programme director Cindy McCain says that northern Gaza is experiencing a “full blown famine” that is headed south. (AP 5/3; AP, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA 5/4; AJ, AJ, HA 5/4)
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CIA director Bill Burns arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Hamas says it will send a delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, to Cairo on 5/4 to “complete” ceasefire negotiations. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has told Qatar to expel Hamas if it does not agree to the current ceasefire proposal. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, REU, REU, WP 5/3; HA, HA, REU 5/4)
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Addameer, Al Mezan, Al-Haq, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights call on the international community to take “immediate and concrete action” to ensure investigations of torture and killings in Israeli prisons, saying Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, who was taken from al-Awda Hospital, was killed by Israeli forces while at Ofer Prison. (AJ 5/3)
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PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Luxembourgish foreign minister Xavier Bettel, discussing the situation in Gaza and efforts to recognize the State of Palestine. (WAFA 5/3)
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Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says Israel will reduce economic ties between Turkey and the PA in retaliation for Turkey cutting off trade relations with Israel. (AP 5/3)
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ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan says in a statement that the court’s “independence and impartiality are undermined” when “individuals threaten to retaliate against the court or against court personnel.” While the statement does not mention Israel, it follows several threats from Israeli officials against the court and the PA if Israeli leaders are issued with arrest warrants. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/3; HA 5/4)
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U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken warns Israel against invading Rafah, saying the casualty numbers would be “beyond what is acceptable.” 88 members of the House of Representatives sign a letter to President Joe Biden saying that they believe there is sufficient evidence that Israel is failing to comply with the Foreign Assistance Act. (AX, REU 5/3; AJ, HA 5/4)
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The UK announces new sanctions against 2 Israeli settler groups, including the Lehava organization, and 4 individuals, Noam Federman, Elisha Yered, Neirya Ben Pazi, and Eden Levy. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/3)
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The New York Times reports that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to present a plan for Gaza which would see Israel and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the U.S. share oversight of Gaza after Israel ends its war as part of an agreement that would normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The plan includes working with Palestinian leaders in Gaza to redevelop the area, overhaul the education system, and maintain order, and stipulates that after 7-10 years Palestinians in Gaza would vote on whether to be absorbed by the PA. (HA, NYT 5/3)
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French police raid a building occupied by pro-Palestine protesters at the Paris Institute for Political Studies. A protest leader at Goldsmiths University of London says the university will review its investments in Israeli companies in exchange for pro-Palestine protesters ending their occupation of university buildings. The student protests spread to Switzerland and Ireland. AP says there has been more than 2,200 pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested at 43 different U.S. universities since 4/18. The University of Vermont cancels the commencement speech by U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield after pressure from Pro-Palestine students. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, REU 5/3; AJ, AP 5/4)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian shepherds in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also attack Palestinian vehicles traveling in Qalqas, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroy irrigation water pumps in Khirbet al-Dayr. Israeli settlers also raid 4 Palestinian homes in Arab al-Milehat. Israeli forces shoot and kill 6 Palestinians and demolish a building with anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades and bulldozers during a raid in Dayr al-Ghusun. Israeli forces also shoot and critically injure a Palestinian man in Shuweika. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault a child in Beit Rima. Israeli forces also seize a tractor and a motorcycle in Duma. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during a late-night raid in Sabastia. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child jogging near the Old City. Israeli forces arrest the personal guard of the Greek consul at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the celebration of the Holy Fire. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 32 people. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/4; HA, WAFA, WAFA 5/5; UNOCHA 5/6)
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More than 34,654 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,908 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 486 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 290 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 5/4; UNRWA 5/6)
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A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya meets with Egyptian and Qatari officials in Cairo, discussing a ceasefire. A Hamas official says Israel is preventing a ceasefire by refusing to agree to end the war. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan commends the Qatari and Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire but says the U.S. should tell Israel that it needs to end the war. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU 5/4)
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Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta is denied entry into France where he was scheduled to address the Senate. Abu Sitta says Germany put a 1-year ban on his entry to the Schengen zone after denying him entry to the country to address a Palestinian conference in Berlin last month. (AJ, AJ 5/4; AP 5/5)
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PA advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas on international affairs, Riyad al-Maliki, addresses the OIC summit in Banjul, Gambia. (WAFA 5/4)
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Al Monitor reports that the U.S. State Department has notified Congress that 4 out of 5 Israeli military units found to have committed human rights violations have had their issues remedied while the Netzah Yehuda Battalion is still under review. The other 4 units are reportedly the Shimshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, the Shahar Battalion of the Search and Rescue Brigade, the crossing unit in the Border Police, and the West Bank branch of COGAT. (HA 5/4)
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U.S. police arrest 68 pro-Palestine protesters at the Art Institute of Chicago and 25 protesters at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. (NYT 5/4; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/5)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian farmers near Kafr Ra’i. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Sarra. Israeli forces raid al-Khader, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 5 homes and an agricultural structure in Arab al-Milehat. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seize a crane in Bardala. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Nuseirat, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 29 people. Hamas forces fire rockets at an Israeli military installment near the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, killing 4 Israeli soldiers and wounding 9 others. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Meiss Ej Jabal, Kafr Kila, and Markaba, killing 4 civilians in Meiss Ej Jabal. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Margaliot, Kafr Giladi, Yuval, al-Samaqa, and al-Malkiyya. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb the southern part of the country. 2 rockets are fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/5; AP, UNOCHA 5/6)
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More than 34,683 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,018 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 486 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 128 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israel closes the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing after a military installment near the crossing is hit by rockets. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 5/5; HA, UNOCHA, UNRWA 5/6)
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UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel is preventing aid from reaching northern Gaza and in the past 2 weeks has shot at aid convoys and arrested UN staff. (REU, WAFA 5/5)
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The Hamas ceasefire negotiation delegation leaves Egypt for Qatar, saying it engaged in “in-depth and serious discussions.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas is keen to reach ceasefire to end the war. CIA director Bill Burns travels to Qatar for ceasefire talks. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/5)
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PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Slovenian foreign minister Tanja Fajon in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Palestine and efforts to have more countries recognize the State of Palestine. (WAFA, WAFA 5/5)
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The Israeli government votes unanimously to ban Al Jazeera from operating and broadcasting in Israel for an initial period of 45 days. Israeli forces raid the Al Jazeera office in East Jerusalem, seizing equipment. Al Jazeera calls the decision a criminal act that violates human rights and says it will continue its operations in the West Bank and Gaza, saying Israel cannot close its operations there without a military order. Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, the Foreign Press Association, the UN Human Rights Office, and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemn Israel’s actions. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/5; HA, HA 5/6)
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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas has the same intensions as the Nazis and that ending the war now will keep Hamas in power. French president Emmanuel Macron speaks with Netanyahu, encouraging him to accept a ceasefire. AP reports that Israeli officials briefed the U.S. last week on Israel’s plans to evacuate Palestinians from Rafah. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 5/5; AP, NYT 5/6)
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AFP reports that the OIC has passed a resolution calling on its members to impose sanctions on Israel and halt all exports of weapons and ammunitions, citing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. (AJ 5/5)
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Axios reports that the Biden administration halted a shipment of ammunition to Israel last week. (AJ, AX 5/5)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers block a road, stopping an aid convoy headed to Gaza from Jordan, and stealing some of the aid. Israeli settlers also set up a new outpost near al-‘Awja. Israeli forces raid Tulkarm and Tulkarm refugee camp, shooting and killing a Palestinian, injuring 2 others with live ammunition and attack dogs, blowing up a Red Crescent medical point, uprooting paved streets, and damaging Palestinian homes and vehicles. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 3 Palestinians during a raid in Beit Furik and cause tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure an 8-year-old boy before arresting him in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolish the second floor of a Palestinian home in Ras Karkar. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raid a home in Jalbun, turning it into a military outpost. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, Bethlehem, and Salfit. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanun, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 52 people. Israeli forces also drop leaflets telling Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah to al-Mawasi by the Mediterranean Sea, later invading the Rafah crossing and intensifying the bombing of Rafah. Palestinian militants fire rockets at Sderot and Nir Am. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ramyah, Ayta ash Shaab, Marwahin, Safri, and Jabal Blat, injuring 3 in Safri. Hezbollah forces fire rockets and launch a drone at Metula and Kidmat Zvi, killing 2 Israeli soldiers in Metula. In Syria, a Syrian soldier succumbs to wounds sustained in the Israeli shelling of Deraa province on 5/5. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/6; AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; UNOCHA 5/8)
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More than 34,735 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,108 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Israel keeps the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing closed for the second day in a row. (AJ, AP, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 5/6)
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Hamas announces that it has accepted the ceasefire proposal. The proposal includes 3 stages of 42 days, with first seeing 33 Israeli captives, mainly women, children, and elderly, released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a plan to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. The second stage will see all remaining captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The third stage includes an exchange of bodies, the reconstruction of Gaza, and an end to the Israeli siege. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah, discussing the Hamas decision. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire proposal Hamas accepted does not meet basic Israeli demands, but that a team will be sent to Egypt for negotiations. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 5/6; AP, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 5/7; NYT 5/8)
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The Israeli war cabinet decides to begin its operation in Rafah. PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh says Israel is “preparing to commit the greatest crime of genocide by invading Rafah,” adding the U.S. is encouraging Israel to commit massacres against the Palestinian people. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. “cannot support an operation in Rafah as it is currently envisioned.” EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls the Israeli evacuation orders in Rafah “unacceptable.” Germany and France reiterate their opposition to a Rafah invasion. Saudi Arabia calls on the international community to “stop the genocide carried out by the occupation forces.” UNRWA says it will not comply with the Israeli evacuation order for eastern Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/6; AJ, AP, AP 5/7; NYT 5/8)
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7 UN special rapporteurs issue a statement condemning violence, including sexual violence and forced disappearances, by Israeli forces in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 5/6)
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U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, discussing ceasefire negotiations and the planned Israeli invasion of Rafah. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, who tells him that Israel has no choice but to invade Rafah. President Biden also meets Jordanian king Abdullah II at the White House, discussing the situation in Gaza. (AX, AX, HA, REU, REU 5/6; AP, HA 5/7)
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Ynet reports that in 2018 Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a letter to the Qatari government asking it to provide Hamas with $30 million in funding a month. At the time the U.S. reportedly promised Qatar that the funding would not be considered funding for terrorism. (AJ 5/6)
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Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan calls on the U.S. to stop funding the UN if the General Assembly passes a draft resolution recognizing Palestine as qualified to become a full UN member. The vote is scheduled for 5/10. (REU 5/6; AJ 5/7)
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Belgian deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter says Belgium will “continue to push for recognition of the State of Palestine and full UN membership” after a meeting with PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s advisor on international affairs, Riyad al-Maliki. Belgian media reports that Prime Minister Alezander De Croo told aides that he does not think that Belgium can continue considering Israel as a trading partner and that Ireland, Luxembourg, and Malta would also consider ending trade relations with Israel if Belgium leads the way. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/6)
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State Department spokesperson Miller says the U.S. is “quite concerned” about Israel’s closure of Al Jazeera operations. (AJ, HA, REU 5/6)
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Zeteo publishes a letter sent to ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan by 12 Republican senators on 4/24, warning him, his staff, and their families of U.S. sanctions if he issues arrest warrants for Israeli officials. The senators wrote “[t]arget Israel and we will target you . . . You have been warned.” (Zeteo 5/6)
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Columbia University cancels its main commencement ceremony, citing pro-Palestine protests on campus. Police arrest 64 people at a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of California San Diego. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/6; AJ, AJ, HA 5/7)
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The Pulitzer board awards the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation to “Journalists and Media Workers Covering the War in Gaza.” The phrasing is criticized for not mentioning Palestinians. (AJ 5/6)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid al-Muarajat and Khan al-Ahmar, stealing tents and vandalizing homes. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in al-Juwaya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also seize a bulldozer and arrest the driver in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 22 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jericho, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers attack UNRWA’s headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Hanun, Shati’ refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 54 people. Israeli forces also continue its invasion of eastern Rafah, including the Rafah crossing, firing tank shells at buildings. Patients and displaced people flee the Mohammed Yousef El-Najar Hospital in Rafah. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces launch 3 drones and a ballistic missile at a vessel; no damage is reported. (AJ, AX, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ, AP, UNOCHA 5/8)
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More than 34,780 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,204 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The Karem Abu Salem (Karem Shalom) crossing is closed for the third day in a row while the Rafah crossing is also closed after Israel took control of the Palestinian side on 5/6. The UN reports that Gaza is running out of fuel to power water pumps, bakeries, and other essential facilities, adding the UN only has 30,000 liters of fuel left and that Israel is denying the UN access to the Rafah crossing. Doctors Without Borders says it has begun discharging patients from Rafah’s Indonesian Field Hospital and suspended activities at the Shaboura Clinic. It will also handover its operations at al-Helal al-Emirati Maternity Hospital to the Ministry of Health in Gaza and relocate its staff to the Nasser Hospital on 5/8. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ, AP, UNOCHA 5/8)
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Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan says Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to prevent a ceasefire agreement by attacking the Rafah crossing. A Hamas statement calls Israel “the Nazi occupation” that is subjecting Palestinians in Gaza “to a war of extermination and systematic starvation.” Hamas negotiators, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrive in Cairo from Doha to continue ceasefire talks. Israeli negotiators also arrive in Cairo. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant tells Israeli soldiers in Rafah that Israel will expand the operation if ceasefire talks fail. Hamas says an Israeli captive has succumbed to injuries sustained last month in an Israeli airstrike. The PA calls on the U.S. to intervene to stop the Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; NYT 5/8)
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Israel tells international organizations to leave the areas of Rafah where it has called for evacuations. UNRWA said on 5/6 that it would not comply with the order. (AJ 5/7)
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The PA says Israel is withholding $1.6 billion in tax revenue. (WAFA 5/7)
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The U.S. military announces that it has completed work on the offshore pier that will facilitate deliveries of aid to Gaza via sea, but states that the weather is making it unsafe to move the pier into place. (AJ 5/7; AP 5/8)
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U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller claims that Hamas did not accept the ceasefire proposal on 5/6 but rather responded to it, making several suggestions. The New York Times reports that the changes are “minor wording changes.” Miller also says that Israel has committed to reopening the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing on 5/8. Lastly, Miller says that it is not the U.S.’s assessment that Israel has begun “a major military operation” in Rafah. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Israel has informed the U.S. that the Rafah invasion is limited and focused on preventing the smuggling of weapons and money to Gaza. Haaretz reports that Israel committed to the U.S. and Egypt to limit the invasion of Rafah to the eastern part of the city and the crossing. The newspaper also reports that the 3 parties agreed to have a private American security company take control of the Palestinian side of the crossing when Israel withdraws from it. Miller says when asked about the private security company that he is not aware of such an agreement. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh says the PA will not accept “any form of guardianship over the Rafah crossing.” (NYT 5/6; AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA 5/7; HA, WAFA 5/8)
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Jordanian king Abdullah II meets with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, while Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi speaks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (HA 5/7; HA 5/8)
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U.S. president Joe Biden says in a speech hosted by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum at the Capitol that the attack on Israel on 10/7/2023 was driven by “ancient desire to wipe out the Jewish people off the face of the earth” and links the attack to the Holocaust. (AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT 5/7)
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Several media outlets report that the U.S. decided to withhold a transfer of 3,500 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to Israel last week to dissuade Israel from invading Rafah. Reuters reports that the Biden administration will miss its own deadline to have the State Department report to Congress on whether Israeli claims that it is acting within U.S. and international law are credible. 9 U.S. senators call on the administration to apply the Leahy Law, which bans the U.S. from supplying foreign military units that violate human rights. (HA 5/6; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, POL, REU, REU 5/7; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, REU 5/8)
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Bahamas announces that it has formally recognized the State of Palestine, becoming the 142nd country to do so. Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have also recently recognized the State of Palestine. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/8)
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Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, and Brazil condemn Israel’s assault on Rafah. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Israeli allies to use their leverage to stop the invasion of Rafah and on Israel to immediately reopen the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah crossings. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock warns Israel against “a major offensive in Rafah,” saying a “million people cannot simply vanish into thin air. They need protection.” Baerbock also calls on Israel to reopen the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings. Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi calls on the UN Security Council to “act firmly and immediately” against the Israeli invasion of Rafah, saying “[Prime Minister] Netanyahu must face real consequences.” China calls on Israel to stop the invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ 5/8)
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German police remove pro-Palestine protesters from the Free University in Berlin. Dutch police violently disperse student protesters at Amsterdam University, arresting 169 people. Students have set up encampments in support of Palestine in the U.S., the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Finland, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, and the UK, including at Cambridge University and Oxford University. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ, AP, REU 5/8)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces fire tear gas at Palestinian shepherds in al-Fardis, forcing them to flee. Israeli forces also assault and arrest a Palestinian child in al-Khader. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish 4 Palestinians homes in al-Jiftlik, a home in Furush Beit Dajan, and a home under construction in Bayt Ta’mer. Israeli forces also seal the doors to the old municipal building in Hebron. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 34 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ya’bad, Jenin refugee camp, Nablus, ‘Asira al-Qibliya, Hebron, and Bethlehem. A Palestinian family demolishes their 4 shops in Nahalin to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. An Israeli soldier dies of injuries sustained during a raid in Tulkarm on 5/4. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 55 people. In the Naqab, Israeli authorities begin demolishing 47 homes in Umm Batin. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kafr Kila, Ayta ash Shaab, Khiam, Maroun al-Ras, Hula, Jibbain, Tayr Harfa, and Aitaroun. Hezbollah says 2 of its fighters were killed in Israeli bombings, while Islamic Jihad says 3 of its fighters were killed. Hezbollah forces attack Metula, Manara, Malkia, and Shlomi, killing an Israeli soldier in Malkia. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA. WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/8; AJ, AP, HA 5/9; UNOCHA 5/10)
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More than 34,884 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,404 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Israel allows a fuel truck to enter Gaza via the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing before closing the crossing again. Israeli claims the crossing, which has been closed since 5/5, is open again but humanitarian agencies deny the claim. UNRWA secretary-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel must reopen the crossings to allow aid and fuel into Gaza, saying aid trucks, hospitals, and water pumps will stop functioning. The WHO says hospitals in southern Gaza will run out of fuel in 3 days. Al-Helal Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital stops receiving new patients. The hospital has been handling 85 out of 180 new births in Gaza each day. The Mohammed Yousef El-Najjar Hospital in Rafah shuts down after all staff evacuate the hospital. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/8; AP, AP, REU 5/9)
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49 Palestinian bodies are uncovered in a mass grave at al-Shifa Hospital. The total number of bodies discovered in mass graves at the Kamal Adwan, Nasser, and al-Shifa hospitals now stands at 520. Hamas calls on international organizations to document the crimes related to the mass graves and submit their findings to the ICC and other courts. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/8; AP 5/9)
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Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Risheq says Israel is using the ceasefire talks as a cover to invade Rafah and that Hamas will not compromise any further than it has already done so in accepting the ceasefire proposal. (AJ, REU, REU 5/8)
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PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins-Slot in Ramallah, discussing Israel’s withholding of aid to the PA and the situation in Gaza. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour sends letters to the UN secretary-general and the presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council, urging immediate intervention against Israel’s war on Gaza and invasion of Rafah. (WAFA, WAFA 5/8)
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Human Rights Watch says in a report that in 4 separate cases Israeli forces shot and killed 8 Palestinians in the West Bank that posed no security threat between July 2022 and October 2023. The report also states that Israel killed more than twice as many Palestinians in the West Bank in 2023, 492, including 120 children, than in any other year since systematic data started being collected in 2005, further warning that the kill rate is higher in 2024 so far. (AJ, AP, HRW 5/8)
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U.S. president Joe Biden tells CNN that he is withholding large payload munitions from being transferred to Israel, but that he will still supply Israel with defensive weaponry, including Iron Dome interceptor rockets, saying “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah, they have not gone in Rafah yet, if they go into Rafah, I am not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) send a letter to Biden expressing “alarm” over the pause in weapons shipments to Israel. The J Street lobbying group express support for Biden’s decision. Axios reports that Israeli officials have threatened their American counterparts that the withholding of military aid could jeopardize the ceasefire negotiations. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller calls Israeli MK Tali Gotliv’s comment that Israeli will use “inaccurate missiles” to create more damage in Gaza “deplorable.” (AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 5/8; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 5/9; AP, AX, HA, REU 5/10)
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CIA director Bill Burns arrives in Israel, meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea. Burns returns to Cairo after the meeting. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT 5/8; AJ, AP 5/9)
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Qatar and the UAE condemn Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Rafah, calling for international intervention. Indonesia, the OIC, and the African Union also condemn the attack. Tunisia “calls upon all the free people of the world to stand united against the genocide and forced displacement being carried out by the Zionist occupation forces.” WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus says a “ceasefire is needed urgently for the sake of humanity.” (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/8)
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Haaretz reports that on 5/2 Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed to the war cabinet that Israel start its Rafah invasion as soon as possible, as Israeli officials had assessed that Hamas was close to agreeing to a ceasefire deal. The war cabinet reportedly rejected the idea. (HA 5/8)
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Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE News reports that Ireland, Spain, Malta, and Slovenia are considering making a joint announcement on 5/21 to recognize the State of Palestine. (AJ, HA, REU 5/9)
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Data for Progress and Zeteo release a new poll showing that a plurality of all respondents think Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza, including 56% of Democrats. 70% of all respondents support a permanent ceasefire, including a majority of Republican voters. (AJ 5/8)
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Police in Washington D.C. clear the encampment at the George Washington University, arresting around 30 people. Dutch police arrest 32 protesters at an encampment at the University of Amsterdam. Students at Trinity College in Dublin end their protest after the university meets their demand to divest from Israeli companies that have activities in the occupied territories and appear on the UN blacklist. Xavier University in Louisiana cancels the commencement speech that was supposed to be delivered by U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/8; AJ, AP, AP 5/9; NYT 5/10)
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Switzerland resumes funding for UNRWA, contributing $11 million earmarked for operations in Gaza, which is half what the country originally had pledged to the agency. (AJ, WAFA 5/8)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 children during a raid in Birzeit. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Qalqilya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault and arrest a Palestinian in ‘Anata. Israeli forces also arrest 31 Palestinians during raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Salfit, Tubas, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers set fire to the walls surrounding the UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, forcing UNRWA to shut down the compound until proper security can be restored. Settlers also attacked the compound on 5/7. Israeli settlers also tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces punitively demolish the family home in Shu’fat refugee camp of a Palestinian who was shot and killed by Israeli forces on 2/18, displacing 5 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, killing at least 60 people. In the Naqab, Israeli protesters block an aid convoy from Jordan from going to Gaza at Mitzpe Ramon. In Nazareth, Israeli police raid an Al Jazeera office. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Bafliyeh and Ayta ash Shaab, killing 4 Hezbollah members in Bafliyeh. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Kafr Giladi. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb a building near Damascus, causing damage. (AJ, AP, AX, GDN, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/9; AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/10)
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More than 34,904 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,515 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The U.S. and Jordanian militaries airdrop aid over Gaza. Hamas calls for the airdrops to end after 2 Palestinians are killed when a parachute fails to open, saying that 21 Palestinians have been killed in the aid drops since they started. UNRWA says that some 80,000 people have fled Rafah since 5/6. The UN says nothing has entered or left Gaza in the past 3 days due to Israel’s closure of all crossings. (AJ, AP, AP, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/9)
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Hamas says that the Israeli claim that the invasion of Rafah is limited, which has been repeated by the U.S., is “nothing but lies.” (AJ, NYT 5/9)
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PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh, discussing the situation in Gaza, PA reforms, and Israel’s withholding of the PA’s tax revenue. (AJ, WAFA 5/9)
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The Israeli High Court of Justice orders the state to open a criminal investigation into the expansion of the Hayovel settlement outpost south of Qabalan. (HA, PCN 5/10)
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CIA director Bill Burns and the Hamas and Israeli ceasefire negotiators leave Cairo after talks. Reports suggests that there are no signs of a ceasefire agreement being imminent. (AJ, HA, REU 5/9)
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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in response to the U.S. halting a munitions shipment to Israel that “[i]f we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tweets “Hamas [a heart emoji] Biden.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 5/9; AP, AP, AP, HA 5/10)
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U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken tells Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry that the U.S. opposes forced displacement of Palestinians to Egypt. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says an Israeli operation in Rafah will not defeat Hamas and that weapon shipments to Israel, apart from “bombs and heavy bomb components,” will continue. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 5/9; AP 5/10)
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Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob says his country has started the process of recognizing the State of Palestine, saying the recognition procedure will be finalized on 6/13 at the latest. EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borrell says Spain and Ireland plan to recognize the State of Palestine on 5/21 and that other EU countries are expected to follow, including Belgium. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 5/9; HA, HA, REU 5/10)
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Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis files a lawsuit in a German court over Germany banning him from the country where he was scheduled to speak at the Palestine Congress conference in Berlin in April. German police raided the conference shortly after it began. (AJ 5/9)
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Thousands of protesters take part in the Stop Israel demonstrations in Malmo, Sweden, as Israel participates in the semifinals of the Eurovision song contest. The Israeli contestant advances to the final on 5/12. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA 5/9)
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Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda and AJ+ are awarded the Peabody Award for her coverage of life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment. (AJ 5/9; AJ 5/10)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces attack Palestinian shepherds and demolish barns in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also seize a tractor during a raid in Ni’lin. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 39 people. 4 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat in Gaza City. Rockets are fired at Beersheba, injuring an Israeli. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Odaisseh, Khiam, Rab El Thalathine, Dayr Siriane, Tayr Harfa, and Ayta ash Shab, killing 2 civilians in Tayr Harfa. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Kiryat Shmona and Khirbet Maar, causing fires. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10; AJ 5/11; UNOCHA 5/13)
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More than 34,943 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,572 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 270 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. UNRWA says that 110,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since 5/6. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 5/10)
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Hamas says Israel has derailed the ceasefire talks, returning them to “square one” and that the Hamas leadership will discuss the situation with other Palestinian resistance groups. The Israeli security cabinet approves an expansion of the Rafah operation. (AJ, HA, NYT 5/10)
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CNN reports new details from the Israeli detention camps holding Palestinians kidnapped from Gaza based on whistleblower accounts. Palestinians are reportedly subject to regular “horror” in the Sde Teiman camp, including arbitrary beatings, extreme physical restraint, forced stress positions, and medical neglect. Some prisoners have had their limbs amputated due to prolonged and tight hand and feet restrains. Injured Palestinians in the prison’s field hospital are forced to wear diapers and eat through straws while they are cuffed to their hospital bed. 1 of the Israeli whistleblowers tells CNN that harsh measures against the prisoners are about revenge and punishment. (AJ, CNN 5/10)
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Israel’s Channel 12 reports that Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has been withholding $46 million from the PA in tax revenue for the past 9 days. The funds are reportedly being withheld due to the PA’s calls for the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials. (AJ 5/10)
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The UN General Assembly votes to approve the expansion of the rights of the State of Palestine at the UN and calls on the Security Council to reconsider the matter of Palestinian full membership “favorably.” General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23 is adopted with 143 countries voting in favor, 9 voting against, and 25 abstaining. Several countries that have not recognized the State of Palestine voted in favor of the resolution, including Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Eritrea, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, and South Korea. The 9 countries that voted against were Argentina (which already has recognized the State of Palestine), Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the U.S. Among the rights granted to Palestine are the right to be seated among member states at the assembly in alphabetical order, to make statements on behalf of a group, to submit and amend proposals, to co-sponsor proposals, to propose items for the General Assembly agenda, to have members of the Palestinian delegation elected as officers in the plenary and main committees, and to have full participation in UN conferences and meetings. PA president Mahmoud Abbas welcomes the vote, saying it shows that the world stands with the Palestinian people. After the vote, the Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan shreds a copy of the UN Charter in a mini shredder he brought to the podium, claiming that this is what the UN members had done by expanding the rights of the Palestinian state and that Palestine “will be led by the [Adolf] Hitler of our times.” The U.S. says Palestinian statehood will only happen through bilateral negotiations with Israel. Separately, the Security Council calls for an investigation into mass graves found in Gaza, expressing “deep concern.” (AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, F24, GDN, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UN, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11)
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The U.S. State Department tells Congress in a report that U.S.-provided weapons have likely been used to violate international humanitarian law in Gaza. The report also states that the U.S. does not have “direct indication of Israel intentionally targeting civilians,” but assesses that Israel could do more to avoid civilian harm. Lastly, the report says that it has not found that Israel is blocking U.S. humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza. Central Command commander Michael Kurilla arrives in Israel, meeting with Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/10; AJ 5/13; AJ 5/14)
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South Africa requests that the ICJ order more emergency measures against Israel to end the invasion of Rafah in the genocide case. Libya files a “declaration of intervention” in the case. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/10)
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The UAE condemns Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s invitation to the UAE “to participate in the civil administration of Gaza,” saying Israel “does not have any legal capacity to take this step.” (HA 5/10; AJ 5/11)
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Colombian president Gustavo Petro calls on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying Netanyahu refuses to “stop the genocide,” and calls for the establishment of a UN peacekeeping force in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 5/10)
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U.S. police raid pro-Palestine encampments at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, arresting 33 protesters at Penn and 10 at MIT. Protesters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison dismantle their encampment after the university administration agrees to discuss the university’s investments. (HA 5/10)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces raid Beit Umar, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also order Palestinians in Nahalin to stop cultivating their land. Elsewhere, Israeli forces place barbed wire at the entrance to Shufa, preventing movement in and out of the village. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 28 people. Israeli forces also order Palestinians in more neighborhoods of Rafah to evacuate to al-Mawasi while residents of Jabalia and Beit Lahiya are ordered to evacuate to the western part of Gaza City as Israeli forces reinvade Jabalia. Rockets are fired at Ashkelon, injuring 3 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack a military base in Beit Hillel. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; UNOCHA 5/13)
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More than 34,971 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,641 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 271 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 6 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN says 150,000 people have fled Rafah since 5/6. UNOCHA says food supplies at UN facilities will be depleted on 5/11. Doctors Without Borders says it has suspended operations at the Indonesian Hospital. Israel claims it is establishing a new field hospital for Palestinians in Dayr al-Balah. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; UNRWA 5/22)
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The Gaza Health Ministry says that an additional 80 bodies have been exhumed from mass graves at al-Shifa Hospital. More than 520 bodies have been found in mass graves at al-Shifa, Nasser, and Kamal Adwan hospitals. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/11)
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Hamas says that the UK-Israeli captive Nadav Popplewell has succumbed to wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike last week. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/11)
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The Washington Post reports that the U.S. offered Israel intelligence that would help locate Hamas leaders and to help create tent cities near Rafah in exchange for Israel not conducting a full-scale invasion of Rafah. (HA, WP 5/11)
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German chancellor Olaf Scholz warns Israel against expanding the offensive in Rafah, calling it “irresponsible.” France calls on Israel to end its Rafah invasion, reopen border crossings, and return to ceasefire talks. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/11)
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6,000-8,000 people demonstrate against the participation of the Israeli contestant outside the Eurovision Song Contest venue in Malmo, Sweden. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 5/11)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian woman in Artas, causing fractures. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian street vendor in Bizarya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a house in Duma. Israeli settlers also set fire to farmland, damaging 21 olive trees. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure a child during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man in ‘Azzun. Israeli forces also demolish a home in Beit Umar, displacing 6 people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish 3 homes under construction in an-Nuway’imah. Israeli forces also arrest 28 Palestinians during raids in and around Bethlehem, Jenin, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Hebron, and Jericho. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 63 people, including senior DFLP member Talal Abu Zarifa in Gaza City. The Israeli military expands operations in Jabalia refugee camp, the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanun after ordering Palestinians to evacuate those areas. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ramyah. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at al-Malkiyya and Shebaa Farms. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/12; AJ 5/13; UNOCHA 5/15)
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More than 35,034 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,755 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 271 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Doctors Without Borders leave the Indonesian Hospital in Rafah due to the Israeli invasion. (HA, WAFA 5/12; AJ, AP 5/14)
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Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Turkish National Intelligence Organization director Ibrahim Kalin in Doha. (AJ 5/12)
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The PA requests that the Arab League reactivates its monthly safety net fund in support of Palestine to keep the PA funded, as Israel continues to withhold the PA’s tax revenue, and announces that public sector employees will only receive 50% of their salaries for April. The PA also says that Israeli forces have destroyed or damaged 226 buildings in the West Bank since April 1, the vast majority of which were in Qusra, Duma, Nur Shams refugee camp, and the Ramallah area. Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with a delegation from the World Bank, discussing relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, REU, WAFA 5/12)
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Addameer calls on the ICC to investigate Israeli war crimes against Palestinian detainees, including systematic torture. (AJ 5/12)
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Egypt says it will formally join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry says there is a lack of political will to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 5/12; HA 5/13; AJ 5/16)
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U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken says the U.S. could expand its withholding of military aid to Israel if Israel escalates its invasion of Rafah without a clear plan to protect civilians. Blinken also speaks with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, saying the U.S. opposes “a major operation in Rafah.” (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT 5/12; AJ 5/13)
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Cambridge University’s Trinity College withdraws its investments from all arms manufactures, complying with demands from pro-Palestine protesters. Pro-Palestine student protesters at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore dismantle their encampment after the university pledges to review its ties with Israel. (AJ 5/12; AJ 5/13)
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Donors pledge more than $2 billion in aid to Gaza during a conference in Kuwait. (AJ 5/12)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to 4 aid trucks headed to Gaza from Jordan near Bayt Awa. Israeli settlers also block an aid convoy from Jordan at the Tarqumiyah checkpoint, stealing aid. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to farmland near Madama. Israeli settlers also steal wheat and barley crops in al-Minya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes and set fire to a car in Jalud. Israeli settlers also throw stones at a Palestinian vehicle near Duma, causing damage. Israeli forces demolish 2 homes and assault a Palestinian man in ‘Azzun. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian man in Huwwara. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Husan, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers set fire to the fence around the UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, the third attack on the compound this month. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 57 people. Israeli forces also open fire on a clearly marked UN vehicle in Rafah carrying 2 UN workers, killing an Indian security worker, the first foreign UN worker killed since 10/7/2023, and injuring another UN worker from Jordan. More than 190 Palestinian UN workers have been killed in Israeli attacks since 10/7/2023. Meanwhile, Israeli forces open fire at ambulances trying to reach injured people in Jabalia refugee camp. Israeli forces also issue evacuation orders for the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah and 6 UNRWA schools that are used as shelters in Jabalia refugee camp. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Odaisseh and Ayta ash Shaab. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli soldiers in Metulla, Beit Hillel, and Kfarchouba, injuring 4 soldiers. In Yemen, U.S. forces conduct airstrikes in the western part of the country and intercept a ballistic missile over the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA 5/14; AJ, AP, UNOCHA 5/15)
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More than 35,091 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,827 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 271 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The European Gaza Hospital near Khan Yunis runs out of fuel. The UN estimates that 360,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since 5/6. 76 Palestinians held at Israeli detention facilities in Israel are released to Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; UNOCHA 5/15; AJ 5/16)
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The 2 remaining families in the Ein Samiya herding community flee the area after continued Israeli settler attacks. 156 people have been displaced from the area in recent months. (UNOCHA 5/15)
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Hamas says it has lost contact with its members guarding 4 Israeli captives. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in Qatar. The New York Times reports according to U.S. officials Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, has likely remained in Khan Yunis and never left for Rafah as Israel has claimed. (AJ, HA, REU 5/13; AJ 5/16)
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Axios reports that Israel has proposed to Egypt and the U.S. that the PA take control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing in an unofficial capacity. According to the reports, PA president Mahmoud Abbas rejected the proposal, saying he would not allow PA officials to control the crossing unofficially. (AX 5/13)
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The Maldives says in a statement that it will join the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. (AJ 5/13)
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U.S. deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell tells Politico that he does not think Israel can obtain a “total victory” over Hamas in Gaza. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan calls the Israeli settler looting of aid going to Gaza “a total outrage” and denies that Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza constitutes genocide. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, saying the U.S. opposes a large-scale invasion of Rafah. (AJ, HA 5/13)
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U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency officer Harrison Mann resigns, citing U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ, NYT, REU 5/13; AJ 5/14)
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Dutch riot police raid University of Amsterdam buildings after students take them over following a walkout protest by hundreds of university staff earlier in the day. The staff, including professors, staged the walkout in protest over the police violence against students last week. (AJ, HA 5/13)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their livestock to graze on Palestinian crops in Khallet al-Daba’a in the Masafer Yatta area, causing damage. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling west of Hebron. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers shoot and kill a camel and steal 4 calves during a raid in Kafr al-Labad. Israeli forces, guarding Israeli settlers, shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Qusra. Israeli forces also assault several Palestinians during a raid in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian shepherd and seize several sheep in Bani Na’im. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound, including a man waiving an Israeli flag. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Rafah, Gaza City, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 82 people, including 29 people sheltering in a residential building in Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military orders Palestinians to evacuate the Gaza City neighborhoods of al-Karama, Sultan, and al-Zuhur. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a car near Tyre, killing 2 people, including Hezbollah commander Hussein Ibrahim Makki. Israeli forces also bomb Odaisseh, Kfar Kila, and Khiam. Hezbollah forces fire an anti-tank missile at Adamit, killing an Israeli and injuring 4 soldiers. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; HA, UNOCHA 5/15; UNOCHA 5/17)
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More than 35,173 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,061 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 272 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,712 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The UN says 450,000 people have fled Rafah in the past week and more than 100,000 have fled areas in northern Gaza in the past days. The European Gaza Hospital in Rafah goes out of service after depleting its fuel reserves. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; AJ, NYT, UNOCHA 5/15)
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Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says the ceasefire negotiation have not stopped but that they have reached a stalemate and that the Israeli invasion of Rafah has set the negotiations back. (AJ, AJ, AP 5/14)
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Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calls for the resettlement of Gaza and for Israel to “encourage the voluntary departure of the [Palestinian] residents of Gaza.” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan says the UN “has become a terrorist body.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA 5/14; AJ 5/15)
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The Wall Street Journal reports that Egypt is considering downgrading its diplomatic ties with Israel due to its invasion of Rafah. (HA, WSJ 5/14)
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At the UN Security Council, the Libyan, Algerian, and Russian ambassadors demand that ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan take action against Israeli leaders. (AJ 5/15)
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The U.S. State Department moves a $1.2 billion military aid package to Israel to the congressional review process. The aid includes $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and $60 millions in mortar rounds. U.S. president Joe Biden tells Israeli president Isaac Herzog in a letter that the U.S. support for “Israel’s security is ironclad.” (HA, NYT 5/14; AJ, AJ, HA 5/15)
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EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell calls on Israel to end its operation in Rafah immediately, saying the continuation of the operation “would inevitably put a heavy strain” on the EU’s relationship with Israel. (AJ, AP, HA 5/15)
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The ICJ says it will hold hearings on 5/16 and 5/17 on new emergency measures requested by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel. (AJ, HA 5/14)
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Germany’s ban on Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta entering Schengen countries is overturned. Abu Sitta has also been denied entry to France and the Netherlands after Germany decided to ban him from entering. (AJ 5/14)
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Student protesters at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley end their encampments after university administrations agree to meet with students to discuss their demands. (AJ, NYT 5/14; AJ, AP, HA, HA 5/15; NYT 5/17)
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The Norwegian government proposes a revised budget which includes a quadrupling in aid to Palestinians from $24 million to $92.5 million. (AJ 5/14)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack and injure a Palestinian truck driver before unloading 2 trucks, puncturing their tires, and setting them on fire near the Beit El checkpoint. Israeli settlers also attack 2 Palestinian homes in Qusra and Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to an agricultural structure in Sabastia. Israeli settlers also throw stones at a house and set fire to a vehicle in Burqa. Israeli forces shoot and kill 3 Palestinians during a raid in Tulkarm. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Bireh. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man while guarding Israeli settlers raiding Qusra. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian family in their home in Nabi Salih, arresting a child. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize a tractor in al-Rifa’iya. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 60 people, including 10 in an UNRWA clinic in Gaza City. The Israeli military orders the evacuation of the al-Manshiya and Sheikh Zayyed neighborhoods of Gaza City. 5 Israeli soldiers are killed by friendly fire and an Israeli defense contractor succumbs to wounds sustained on 5/14. 2 rockets fired from Gaza cause damage in Sderot. In Tel Aviv, Palestinians hold a Nakba Day rally outside of Tel Aviv University, waiving watermelon signs. Israeli police had banned the Palestinian flag from the protest. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kasrat al-Arush. Hezbollah forces attack a military base near Tiberias. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/15; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/16; UNOCHA 5/17)
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More than 35,223 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,141 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 492 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,040 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 278 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 27 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN says nearly 600,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah since 5/6. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 5/15; UNRWA 5/22)
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The Palestinian American Medical Association says 19 healthcare professionals, including 10 Americans, have been denied exit from Gaza after concluding a 2-week mission at the European Hospital. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre says the U.S. is engaging with Israel to facilitate their departure. (AJ 5/15)
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The wife of Palestinian doctor Adnan al-Bursh files a request to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court to appoint a judge to investigate al-Bursh’s death in the Ofer Prison last month. Palestinian human rights groups have said al-Bursh was killed by Israel while at the prison after he was taken from Gaza. (HA 5/16)
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Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says new Israeli demands in the ceasefire negotiations led to the current stalemate. A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya meets with Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, discussing developments in Gaza and ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, HA 5/15)
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PA president Mahmoud Abbas arrives in Manama ahead of the 33rd Arab Summit on 5/16. Abbas meets with Iraqi president Abdul Latif Rashid and Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov. The PA presidency issues a statement expressing appreciation for China’s support of Palestine at international institutions and reaffirms its support of China’s One-China policy. The PA ambassador to Finland Tayseer al-Ajouri submits an official protest to the Finnish government over its abstention in the 5/10 UN General Assembly vote granting Palestine more rights at the assembly and asking the Security Council to favorably reassess Palestine’s application for full UN membership. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/15; WAFA 5/16)
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Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant urges the Israeli government to decide on the post-war governance of Gaza, saying he does not support an open-ended military campaign. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responds that he is “not prepared to exchange Hamastan for Fatahstan.” Netanyahu also denies that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demands that the Israeli government pass a resolution denying the PA any involvement in the future of Gaza. During a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu orders the formation of a team to institute punitive measures against the PA for the UN resolution that passed on 5/10, granting the PA more rights at the UN. Gallant also instructs the Israeli military to prepare to shut down Al Jazeera operations in the West Bank. (AJ, AP, AX, HA 5/15; AJ, HA, HA, REU 5/16; HA 5/17)
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Turkish president Recep Tayyib Erdogan says Turkey will “continue to stand by Hamas, which is fighting for its own land’s independence and defending Anatolia,” saying Israel will eventually target Anatolia to expand its territory. (AJ, AP 5/15)
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Irish foreign minister Micheal Martin says Ireland will recognize the State of Palestine before the end of May. (AJ, REU 5/15)
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Belgian development cooperation minister Caroline Gennez says Belgium favors a total EU ban on weapons exports to Israel but that some EU members oppose the ban. (AJ 5/15)
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Jewish-American political appointee at the U.S. Department of the Interior Lily Greenberg Call resigns in protest over the U.S.’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza, saying President Joe Biden is using Jews to justify pro-Israel policies. (AJ, AJ, HA 5/15; AJ 5/16)
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U.S. police arrest several pro-Palestine protesters during a raid at the University of California, Irvine. Protesters end their encampment at Sonoma State University after the university pledges to disclose its contracts and seek “divestment strategies” from Israeli institutions. Sonoma State University president Mike Lee is subsequently placed on administrative leave by California State University chancellor Mildred Garcia. (HA 5/15; AJ, AJ, HA 5/16; NYT 5/17)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers block and attack aid trucks from Jordan headed to Gaza near Ein Samiya, injuring a Palestinian truck driver and setting a truck on fire. The settlers also injure 3 Israeli soldiers at the scene. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near the Za’atra checkpoint, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Qusra. Israeli forces also raid all 11 branches of the same currency exchange company, seizing $1 million and arresting 4 people. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault Palestinian farmers in al-Khader. Israeli forces also demolish a Palestinian home in Idhna. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian man in Awarta, claiming he stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier near Nablus. Israeli forces also arrest 8 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler rams a Palestinian woman in Sheikh Jarrah. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child, claiming he tried to stab Israeli soldiers. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 39 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in an explosion they set off. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kana, Ayta ash Shaab, Seddikine, and Kfar Kila, killing 2 people in Seddikine. Hezbollah forces launch rockets at the Golan Heights. In Yemen, Houthi forces shoot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Marib province. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16; REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/17; AP 5/18; UNOCHA 5/20)
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More than 35,272 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,205 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 493 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 118 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 279 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 4 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 5/16; UNRWA 5/22)
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Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says more troops will be sent to Rafah and speaks with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel will abolish its free trade agreement with Turkey and impose a 100% tariff on imports from Turkey in retaliation for Turkey halting exports to Israel. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/16)
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At the ICJ, South Africa tells the court that Israel’s invasion of Rafah “is the last step in the destruction of Gaza,” quoting Israeli security cabinet member Smotrich saying “there are no half measures, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat, total annihilation.” South African is seeking an ICJ ruling to end the Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16)
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The Arab League adopts the Bahrain Declaration at the 33rd Arab Summit, calling for a UN peacekeeping mission in the occupied Palestinian territories until a 2-state solution is implemented. The league also condemns Israel’s “obstruction” of ceasefire negotiations and invasion of Rafah and calls on all Palestinian factions to join the PLO. PA president Mahmoud Abbas pleads with league members for financial support and requests countries that have relations with Israel to condition those relations on ending the war on Gaza. Bahraini king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa calls for an international conference for Middle East peace and support for the recognition of the State of Palestine and full Palestinian UN membership. Abbas meets with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Jordanian king Abdullah II, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Kuwaiti prime minister Ahamad Al Abdullah Al Sabah in separate meetings on the sidelines of the summit. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NAT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16)
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The U.S. announces that the floating pier off the coast of Gaza has been anchored and will start receiving aid in the coming days. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel expresses concern over the “complete halt” in fuel entering Gaza. The UN says it does not have enough fuel to distribute aid arriving in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT 5/16)
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The New York Times publishes an investigation into the far right’s takeover of Israeli politics, saying that enforcement against illegal settlement construction has ceased since the formation of the current government in 2022 and that the Israeli police are not prosecuting settlers who commit violence against Palestinians. Finance Minister Smotrich calls the article “blood libel,” and says he is proud to prevent Palestinians from living in rural areas of the West Bank. (HA, HA, NYT 5/16)
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Spain refuses permission for an Israel-bound ship carrying arms to dock at the port of Cartagena. The ship is carrying 27 tons of explosive material that was loaded in Madras, India. (AJ, HA, REU 5/16; HA 5/17)
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Canada imposes sanctions on 4 Israeli settlers, David Chai Chasdai, Yinon Levi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 5/16; WAFA 5/17)
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The incoming Dutch government coalition, led by Geert Wilders of the Party of Freedom, presents a coalition agreement which includes moving the Dutch embassy to Israel to Jerusalem. (AJ 5/16)
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The U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill in a 224-187 vote forcing the Biden administration to reverse its decision to halt the transfer of large bombs to Israel. 16 Democrats join Republicans in the vote. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer says he does not plan to hold a vote on the bill and President Joe Biden says he will veto it if it is passed by the Senate. (AJ, AX, NYT 5/16; AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 5/17)
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The German state North Rhine-Westphalia bans the group Palestine Solidarity Duisburg and state police raid 4 properties linked to the group, claiming it is spreading anti-Semitic narratives. (AP 5/16)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained during an Israeli raid on Beit Furik on 5/6. Israeli settlers raid Kisan, blocking roads and chanting racist and genocidal slogans. Israeli settlers also attempt to steal a home in Khirbet Beit Zakariyyah before being repelled by Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attack a shepherd and steal some of his sheep in Hreiba al-Nabi in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also prevent Palestinian farmers from harvesting their crops in Egzaweh in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces bomb Jenin refugee camp, assassinating a commander of the Jenin Brigades and injuring 8 others. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Bal’a. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian child in Beit Ummar. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child in Anabta. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinian motorcyclists in Jalazone refugee camp and Qalqilya, seizing a motorcycle in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man with a baton round during a raid in ‘Askar refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Shati’ refugee camp, Rafah, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 31 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces assassinate Hamas commander Sharhabil al-Sayed in an airstrike in Majdal Anjar near the Syrian border. Israeli forces also assassinate Hezbollah field commander Hussein Khader Mahdi and kill 2 Syrian nationals in an airstrike on Najjarieh. Separately, UNICEF says Israeli airstrikes kill 2 children. Hezbollah forces fire 75 rockets at Israel, injuring 2 people. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/17; HA, WAFA 5/18; UNOCHA 5/20)
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More than 35,303 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,261 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 496 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 118 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 280 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,723 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 5 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN estimates that 640,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since 5/6 and more than 100,000 have fled areas of northern Gaza in the past week. The WHO says no medical aid has entered Gaza since 5/6. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/17; UNRWA 5/22)
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The U.S. facilitates the evacuation of 17 doctors who had been working a 2-week tour in Gaza before Israel refused them safe exit. 14 other doctors, including 3 Americans, choose to stay in Gaza as Israel is refusing to allow a new team to take over. (AJ 5/17; AP 5/18)
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Israel reopens the Jalamah crossing north of Jenin for the first time since 10/7/2023. The crossing will be open for 5 hours on Fridays and 10.5 hours on Saturdays. (WAFA 5/17)
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The Washington Post reports that aerial photos show that Israeli forces have turned the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital and a school in Juhor ad-Dik into military bases. The hospital has been used as a military base since November 2023, while the school was turned into a base in March. (HA 5/17)
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The U.S. says its floating pier has started receiving aid that will arrive in Gaza. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says it is unacceptable that Israel is not reopening the land crossings to Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to enter. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT 5/17)
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On the second day of the ICJ hearing on additional measures against Israel in South Africa’s genocide case, Israel says the measures are not needed as Rafah is not the last refuge for displaced Palestinians and the operation is “limited and localized.” The lawyer representing Israel claims that South Africa is trying to defend its “ally Hamas, which it does not want to see defeated.” (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/17)
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Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez says Spain will not recognize the State of Palestine by 5/21 and will only recognize the Palestinian state in a joint action with other countries. (HA, REU 5/17)
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World soccer’s governing body FIFA announces at its annual congress in Thailand that the Palestine Football Association is seeking to have the Israel Football Association suspended from the body over Israel’s war on Gaza and the inclusion of Israel teams based in illegal settlements in its domestic leagues. FIFA said it is seeking legal advice and will make a determination in July. (AJ, AJ, NYT, REU 5/17)
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The German newspaper Suddeutche Zeitung reports that the foreign ministers of Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, and Sweden signed a letter on 5/15 to Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz, urging an end to the Rafah invasion and the reopening of all crossings to Gaza for aid deliveries. (AJ, HA 5/17)
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The University of Ghent severs ties with 3 Israeli educational and research institutions that it says no longer align with the university’s human rights policy. (HA, REU 5/17)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Azmut. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also raid Idhna, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seize a concrete truck in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinian during late-night raids in and around Barta’a, Balata refugee camp, Qusra, Burqa, Qalqilya, and Beit Ummar. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Beit Lahiya, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 83 people, including 28 people in a residential square in Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military orders the evacuation of more neighborhoods in Beit Lahiya. 10 rockets are fired at Ashkelon. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shaab, Odaisseh, Aitaroun, Kounine, Khiam, and Ramyah. In the Red Sea, a ballistic missile fired from Yemen hits an oil tanker, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/18; AJ 5/19; UNOCHA 5/20)
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More than 35,386 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,366 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 497 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 119 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 282 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,723 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 27 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via land crossings while 90 trucks enter Gaza via the floating pier. Earlier in the day UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says that only 33 aid trucks have entered Gaza since 5/6. The UN says 800,000 people have fled Rafah since 5/6. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 5/18; UNRWA 5/22)
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Israel releases the names and details of a number of Palestinian children in Gaza it claims are informants for Hamas. (AJ 5/18)
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Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says in a press conference that he will leave the emergency government if the war cabinet does not approve a 6-point plan for Israel’s war on Gaza by 6/8. Gantz’s plan includes bringing back captives, demilitarizing Gaza, creating an international administration for civil affairs in Gaza, including Palestinian, Arab, and western elements, facilitating the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza by 9/1, advancing normalization with Saudi Arabia, and adopting a framework to include all Israelis in mandatory service. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the conditions Gantz is demanding would mean an “end of the war, defeat for Israel, and the abandonment of most of the hostages – leaving Hamas intact and establishing a Palestinian state.” (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 5/18)
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Sada Social says Meta has been providing data from WhatsApp to power the AI-assisted targeting system Lavender, used by the Israeli military to kill Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ 5/18)
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Iran confirms that it has held indirect talks with the U.S. in Oman earlier this week, discussing the security situation in the Middle East and Iran’s nuclear program. (AJ, NYT 5/18)
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Austria says it will resume UNRWA funding. Austria expects to provide UNRWA with $3.7 million in 2024. (AJ, REU, WAFA 5/18)
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New York City police assault pro-Palestine protesters in Brooklyn, causing injuries and arresting 40 people. (AJ, AJ, NYT 5/19; NYT 5/20)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Yatma, setting fire to several cars. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Jericho and Ramallah, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attack an aid convoy traveling from Jordan to Gaza in Tarqumiyah, damaging aid supplies. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian shepherd near Ein al-Beida in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man at the Container checkpoint, claiming he tried to stab soldiers with a screwdriver. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinian firefighters putting out fires ignited by Israeli settlers in Yatma; no injuries are reported. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seize a home in Jalbun, turning it into a military outpost. Israeli forces also seize a truck in Duma. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize camera equipment from a Palestine TV crew on Al-Shuhada Street in Hebron. Israeli forces also arrest 18 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Rafah, Beit Lahiya, Jabalia refugee camp, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 70 people, including 31 people in a home in Nuseirat refugee camp and the director of police investigations in central Gaza, Zaher al-Houli, as well as 4 other police officers. Israeli forces also assassinate Hamas official Azmi Abu Daqqa. Meanwhile, Israeli forces besiege al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, which has run out of drinking water. An Israeli soldier dies from wounds sustained on 5/15. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Maroun al-Ras. Hezbollah forces fire a guided missile at Israeli forces in Metulla. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/19; UNOCHA 5/20)
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More than 35,456 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,476 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 498 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 119 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 283 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,723 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 29 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Gaza Civil Defense says Israel has destroyed 300 homes in Jabalia since the beginning of May. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 5/19; UNRWA 5/22)
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U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and other Israeli officials, discussing Israel’s war on Gaza and normalization with Saudi Arabia. Before arriving in Israel, Sullivan met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussing normalization. Israeli officials say that they got the impression that a normalization deal is very close, but still depends on whether Netanyahu will accept moves toward Palestinian statehood. The state-run Saudi Press Agency described the deal between the U.S. and Saudi-Arabia as “semi-final.” (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/19; AP, HA, REU, 5/20; REU 5/21)
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Axios reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has banned Israeli intelligence and security officials from meeting with U.S. officials and lawmakers since 10/7/2023. (AJ 5/18; AX 5/19)
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Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and several other Iranian officials are killed in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran near the border with Azerbaijan. The Iranian constitution mandates that an election for a new president must be arranged within 50 days. Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is appointed acting president on 5/20. The PA, Hamas, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, and many other countries extend condolences. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 5/19; AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; AP, AP, NYT, NYT 5/21)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers physically assault and pepper-spray a Palestinian man near Jericho. Israeli settlers also throw stones at vehicles traveling between Jericho and Ramallah, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers steal a truck in al-‘Awja. Israeli settlers also bring their sheep to graze on Palestinian farmland and assault 2 Palestinians in Arab al-Milehat. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers prevent Palestinian farmers from cultivating their land in Khallet al-Fahm and al-Khader. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in Artas and a carwash in Aqraba. Israeli forces also issue stop-work orders for 5 homes in Ni’lin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians and seize construction equipment and 2 vehicles during a raid in Rujeib. Israeli forces also arrest 26 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, and al-Bireh. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities summon PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith, renewing the ban on his movement to the West Bank and into parts of East Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Rafah, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 106 people, including 13 in an airstrike on Jabalia refugee camp. A premature baby dies in an incubator at the Kamal Adwan Hospital after the oxygen machine stopped working due to a lack of fuel. In Eliat, Israeli forces intercept 2 drones launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb and kill a person riding a motorcycle in Mansouri. Israeli forces also bomb Blida, Jibbain, Odaisseh, Meiss Ej Jabal, and Chihine, killing 2 people in Meiss Ej Jabal. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; UNOCHA 5/22)
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More than 35,562 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,652 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 498 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 119 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 283 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,745 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 39 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. UNRWA says 810,000 people have fled Rafah since 5/6. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; UNRWA 5/22)
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Addameer says Israel has arrested 8,800 Palestinians, including 293 women, 620 children, 75 journalists, and 5,900 people who have been placed in administrative detention, and that 18 detainees have died in Israeli prisons since 10/7/2023. (AJ 5/20)
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PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh meets with U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan in Ramallah, discussing efforts to end Israel’s war on Gaza, the reopening of crossings for aid deliveries, and the Israel’s withholding of the PA’s tax revenue. (WAFA 5/20)
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ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan announces that he has asked the court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, and al-Qassam Brigades leader Mohammed Deif. Netanyahu and Gallant are charged with the war crimes of extermination, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, and the intentional killing of a civilian population. Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Deif are charged with extermination and murder, taking hostages, rape and sexual assault, torture, abuse of prisoners, and harm to their dignity. Hamas issues a statement saying Khan “is making an equivalence between the victim and his oppressor and is encouraging the occupation to continue its war of extermination.” Netanyahu calls the request for his arrest warrant “new anti-Semitism” and questions how Khan “dares [to] compare the monsters of Hamas to the soldiers of the IDF, the most moral army in the world.” U.S. president Joe Biden calls the action against the Israeli leaders “outrageous,” saying “[c]ontrary to allegations made against Israel by the International Court of Justice, Israel is not committing genocide.” PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Youssef says the Palestinian people have a right to defend themselves and that arrest warrants should be issued for Israeli officials. Both the UK and the U.S. argue that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel and Palestine. France, Germany, and many other countries issue statements in support of the ICC’s independence and procedures. The pre-trial court looking at Khan’s request is made up of 3 judges, Romania’s Iulia Motoc, who chairs the panel, Benin’s Reine Alapini-Gansou, and Mexico’s Socorro Flores Liera. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 5/20; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU 5/21; AP, AX, NYT, REU 5/22)
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Defense Minister Gallant tells members of the Likud Party that if Israel chooses to continue the military occupation of Gaza the country would have to extend its compulsory military service to 4 years, saying he is against a Palestinian state in Gaza but thinks that administration by a local entity is “the least bad alternative.” Gallant also tells U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan that Israel intends to broaden its military operation in Rafah. Foreign Minister Israel Katz says he has asked AIPAC to work with the Biden administration and Congress to take “dramatic steps against the decision by the Prosecutor of the ICC to demand arrest warrants for PM Netanyahu and the Defense Minister.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 5/20; HA 5/21)
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+972 Magazine reports that the Israeli military censor barred 613 articles from being published and redacted parts of 2,703 articles in 2023. (+972 5/20)
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Former Vermont senator and author of the Leahy Law, Patrick Leahy, calls the Biden administration’s dismissal of allegations of Israeli violations of international and U.S. law “a mockery of the [Leahy] law.” (HA 5/21)
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Graduate students at the University of California, Santa Cruz go on strike in protest against free-speech violations against pro-Palestine protesters. The strike is organized by United Auto Workers Local 4811, which represents 48,000 graduate students working at the 10 University of California campuses. More than 3,000 people have been arrested in pro-Palestine protests at U.S. campuses. (WAFA 5/18; AP, AP, HA 5/21)
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Norway donates $10 million to the PA in support of the Palestinian health sector. (WAFA 5/20)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and kill 7 Palestinians, including a doctor, a teacher, and 2 children, and injure 18 others, including a journalist and a paramedic, during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces also punitively demolish a home without warning during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also conduct military drills near Tubas, causing fires on Palestinian farmland. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Nablus, Tubas, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Beit Lahiya, Khan Yunis, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 85 people. Israeli forces also attack the Kamal Adwan Hospital, damaging the intensive care unit, the reception, administrative areas, the gates, and the roof. In Sderot, Israeli authorities seize equipment from AP journalists filming Gaza, saying AP’s live video is being broadcasted on Al Jazeera. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack Israeli soldiers at a military outpost in Raheb. In Yemen, Houthi forces shoot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over Al Bayda province. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/21; AP, HA, UNOCHA 5/22; AP 5/23)
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More than 35,657 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,852 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 505 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 121 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 283 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,745 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The U.S. says that 569 metric tons of humanitarian aid has entered Gaza via the floating pier. UNRWA says food distribution in Rafah has ended due to a lack of supplies and the danger posted by Israeli airstrikes. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/21; UNOCHA 5/22)
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Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says he expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to add him to the war cabinet and that he wants to move to an Israeli settlement in Gaza. Netanyahu tells CNN he does not plan to resettle Gaza. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi says he has cancelled his decision to take action against AP and decided to hand the equipment seized earlier back to the AP journalists after U.S. objections. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/21; AP 5/22)
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U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken tells Congress that a ceasefire deal is still possible but that it is “challenged by a number of events and I have to say, yes, the extremely wrongheaded decision by the ICC prosecutor [Karim Khan] yesterday.” Blinken also says he would be happy to work with Congress to formulate “an appropriate response” to Khan’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Lastly, Blinken says a normalization deal between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. is finalized in principle but that it is up to Israel to decide if it can acquiesce to the Saudi demands for calm in Gaza and a path to Palestinian statehood. The U.S. also accuses Egypt of preventing aid trucks from entering Israel and reaching the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, claiming the crossing is open. (AJ, AP, AX, HA 5/21; HA, REU, REU 5/22)
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Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide says Norway would arrest prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others on Norwegian soil if the ICC issues arrest warrants for them. France, Belgium, and Slovenia issue statements in support of the ICC prosecutor’s decision on 5/20 to seek arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders. (AJ 5/21; WAFA 5/22)
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The Guardian reports that Israeli soldiers and police are informing Israeli settlers about aid convoys from Jordan to Gaza, allowing them to attack the convoys. (AJ, GDN 5/21)
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Politico reports that U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Israel has killed 30-35% of Hamas militants and that 65% of the tunnel network remains intact. (AJ, HA 5/22)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers open fire at Palestinians and start fires in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli forces continue the raid on Jenin for a second day, killing 5 Palestinians and injuring 7 others, bringing the toll to 12 dead, including 4 children, and 25 wounded. The Israeli forces also cause extensive damage to buildings and other property and open fire at an Al Jazeera news crew covering the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issue stop-work orders for homes and agricultural structures in Duma. Israeli forces also arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Ben-Gvir, who is filmed praying at the compound, says he is touring the compound to show Ireland, Norway, and Spain that the holy site only belongs to Israel. Israeli forces arrest 2 Israeli settlers attempting to bring a goat to the compound for a ritual slaughter. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 62 people. 3 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shaab and Marwahin. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli military posts in al-Sadh, Avivim, as-Summaqa, Jal al-Allam, and Beit Hillel. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 4 sites in the western part of the country. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/22; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, WAFA 5/23)
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More than 35,709 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 79,990 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 510 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 123 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 286 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,776 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The WHO says all staff and patients have been evacuated from the Kamal Adwan Hospital and it is no longer in operation. (AJ, AP, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 5/22)
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Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and acting President Mohmmad Mokhber in Tehran, after attending the funeral for President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who died in a helicopter crash on 5/21. (HA, HA, NYT 5/22; AP 5/23)
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Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant announces that he will expand the law that allows Israeli settlers to return to settlements that were evacuated as a result of the 2005 Disengagement Plan, including in Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim. The war cabinet approves the continuation of ceasefire talks. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, PCN, REU 5/22; HA, HA 5/23)
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Ireland, Norway, and Spain announce in separate press conferences that they will formally recognize the State of Palestine along the 1967 borders on 5/28, joining 143 out of 193 members of the UN. Slovenia says it will make an announcement on whether it will recognize the State of Palestine by 6/13. Malta says it will recognize Palestine “when the circumstances are right.” France says recognizing the Palestinian state is not a taboo for the country, but that it is waiting for the right time. PA president Mahmoud Abbas calls Irish prime minister Simon Harris, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, and Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store, expressing gratitude for their decisions. PLO secretary-general Hussein Sheikh calls the recognitions a historic moment. Hamas calls the recognitions “a turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue.” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the recognition of Palestine rewards terrorism. Foreign Minister Israel Katz says he has summoned the ambassadors of Ireland, Norway, and Spain so they can watch videos of the 10/7/2023 attack and recalls the Israeli ambassadors from Ireland and Norway. Energy Minister Eli Cohen tweets in response to the recognitions, “[f]rom the River to the Sea, there will be one state: The State of Israel.” The U.S. says recognition of the State of Palestine should be the result of negotiations between Israel and Palestine, not through unilateral recognition. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/22; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/23)
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Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says he will no longer transfer the PA’s tax revenue to Norway in response to its recognition of the State of Palestine and that he will not extend the indemnity given to Israeli banks that transfer funds to Palestinian banks. Smotrich also demands the government take more punitive measures, including more settlements, establishing a new settlement for each country that recognizes Palestine, and revoking VIP permits for PA officials and sanctioning them and their families. U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan warns against withholding the tax revenue, saying it hurts innocent people. Sullivan also calls Israel’s Rafah invasion “more targeted and limited.” (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 5/22; WAFA 5/23)
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Colombia says it will open an embassy to Palestine in Ramallah. (AJ, HA 5/22)
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Jordan, Kuwait, Slovenia, Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Guyana, Singapore, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, South Africa, Spain, and the PA launch an initiative in support of UNRWA, inviting other UN members to join. (AJ, AP 5/22; WAFA 5/23)
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Japan donates $10 million to the WHO in support of the Gaza health sector. (AJ 5/22)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack a truck carrying flour in Beita, vandalizing its contents. Israeli settlers also set fire to agricultural lands in Sabastia and Bayt Dajan. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers erect settlement outposts near Deir Dibwan, al-‘Awja, and Karma. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinian children near the separation wall in Jayyus. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian woman during a raid in Qaffin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Beit Fajjar, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also notify residents of Nahalin and al-Jaba’ that Israel will seize 6 dunams (1.5 acres) of land. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 18 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, and Jericho. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah Gaza City, Beit Hanun, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and al-Faluja, killing at least 91 people, including at least 15 people at an aid storage facility in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also assassinate Gaza National Security Forces assistant commander Diaa ad-Din ash-Shurafa in Gaza City and injure 4 others. Meanwhile, Israeli forces storm al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia after besieging it for 4 days, forcing medical staff to leave; 14 staff members and 11 patients remain at the hospital. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Nabatieh, killing Hezbollah commander Muhammad Nasser and injuring 3 students. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/23)
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More than 35,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 80,011 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 510 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 123 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 286 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,776 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Al-Aqsa Hospital warns that it will soon run out of fuel and have to stop providing care for 1,300 patients. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 5/23)
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Israel agrees to perform on autopsy on the body of Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, who died in the Ofer Prison last month after being taken from Gaza by Israeli forces in December. The UN special rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards calls on Israel to investigate allegations of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. ACRI, Physicians for Human Rights, HaMoked, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, and Gisha petition the Israeli High Court of Justice to close the Sde Teiman detention camp, citing abuses including surgeries without anesthesia, prolonged stress positions, restraints leading to amputations, and keeping detainees in diapers. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/23)
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Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with acting Iranian foreign minister Ali Bagheri in Tehran, discussing the situation in Gaza. Iran’s military says the preliminary investigation into the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian did not find any indication that the helicopter was shot down. (AJ, NYT 5/23; AP 5/24)
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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has a “clear, detailed, important, and even surprising plan” for Lebanon to achieve “safety in the north” of Israel and “to return the [Israeli] population to their homes safely.” (AJ, HA 5/23)
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U.S. treasury secretary Janet Yellen expresses concern over Israeli plans to prevent Palestinian banks from receiving transfers from Israeli banks. President Joe Biden dodges a question on whether Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war and instead says that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 5/23)
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The ICJ announces it will deliver its ruling on the request for provisional measures sought by South Africa in the genocide case against Israel on 5/24. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/23)
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U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announces that Prime Minister Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress. Johnson did not say when it would happen. (HA 5/23; AJ, REU 5/24)
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More than 100 human rights groups sign a letter to President Biden, urging him to support the independence of the ICC and oppose sanctions on the court and its officials. (AJ, AJ 5/23)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers steal 25 sheep near Arab al-Milehat. Israeli settlers also raze farmland in Jalud. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set up a settlement outpost in Umm Safa. Israeli settlers also vandalize and steal hay bales in Umm al-Qaba. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers steal grape leaves from a Palestinian farmer in al-Khader. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in al-Bireh. Israeli forces also open fire at a Palestinian vehicle in Silwad. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Hebron, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in Kafr Qalil and Beitunia. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Faluja, Jabalia refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 57 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Hanaouay. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli military base in Beit Hillel. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/24; UNOCHA 5/27)
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More than 35,857 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 80,293 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 510 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 123 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 286 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,781 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 39 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah runs out of fuel. The UN says it has received aid from 97 trucks arriving via the floating pier since 10/17. Aid arriving on some trucks has been intercepted by Palestinians before arriving at UN warehouses. (AJ, AJ, AP, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/24; UNRWA 5/28)
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The ICJ orders new provisional measures against Israel in South Africa's genocide case, ordering Israel to immediately halt to its attacks on Rafah, reopen the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid, and allow international investigators access to Gaza to conduct inquiries. 2 of the 15 judges vote against the measures, including Israeli ad hoc judge Aharon Barak and Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde. Hamas welcomes the ruling but points out that the criminality of massacres in northern Gaza is no different from the Rafah attacks. The PA also welcomes the ruling. Israel calls the ICJ orders “outrageous, morally repugnant, and disgusting,” promising to continue its assault on Rafah. EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic reiterates that ICJ orders are binding. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/24; NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/25; HA, HA, HA 5/26)
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The UN Security Council adopts a resolution calling for the protection of humanitarian workers and UN personnel in conflicts, in a 14-1 vote with Russia voting against. The resolution does not mention specific conflicts that the resolution relates to. (AJ, AJ, AP, WAFA 5/24)
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Mossad director David Barnea, CIA director Bill Burns, and Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meet in Paris, discussing efforts to restart ceasefire negotiations. (AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/25)
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Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says he is banning the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians in the West Bank, citing Spanish deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz's comments that she wants to see a “liberated Palestine from the river to the sea.” War cabinet member Benny Gantz speaks to U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, discussing normalization with Saudi Arabia and Israel's war on Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son Yair shares a video on social media of an Israeli soldier who says 100,000 Israeli soldiers would defy Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and military chief of staff Herzi Halevi if they order Israeli forces to leave Gaza without defeating Hamas. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/24; HA 5/25; HA, HA 5/26)
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Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks with U.S. president Joe Biden, agreeing to divert aid to the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing as Israel keeps the Rafah crossing closed. The PA says it agreed to the move after conversations with Egypt. An EU official tells AFP the EU has been approached about monitoring the Rafah crossing after the war. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 5/24; AP 5/25)
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Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide calls on Israel to release the PA's tax revenue. (WAFA 5/24)
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27 countries condemn Israel's decision to ban Al Jazeera's operations in Israel. (AJ 5/24)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Qusra. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian municipal worker in Bani Na'im. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalize 15 olive trees in Dhahr al-Abad. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian homes in Hebron. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers steal wheat crops in al-Maniya. Israeli settlers also steal agricultural equipment in Kisan. Israeli forces assault and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Khader. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces close of parts of Sheikh Jarrah in preparation for a settler festival on 5/26. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Beit Hanun, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 46 people. Paltel says the internet is disrupted in northern Gaza. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Aitaroun, Kafr Kila, Odeisseh, Yaroun, and Marwahin. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Israeli military sites in Kfarchouba. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb vehicles traveling near Qusayr, killing 2 people said to be Hezbollah members and injuring several others. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/25; UNOCHA 5/27)
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More than 35,903 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 80,420 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 510 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 123 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 286 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,781 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 34 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Kamal Adwan Hospital is out of service due to the Israeli siege with some patients and premature babies still trapped in the hospital. The Gaza aid pier is damaged by strong waves, with part of the pier breaking off and drifting out to sea. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 5/25; UNRWA 5/28)
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Hamas denies that a date has been set for the resumption of ceasefire talks. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida says Hamas militants lured Israeli forces into a tunnel in Jabalia refugee camp before killing, wounding, and capturing a number of them. Videos and pictures released by Hamas show Israeli weapons and what appears to be a dead soldier being dragged through a tunnel. Israel denies the claim. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/25)
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PA prime minister Mohammed Mustafa meets with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, urging Italy to recognize the State of Palestine. Italy announces during the meeting that it will resume UNRWA funding, committing $5.4 million in new funding for the agency and another $32.5 million to the Palestinian people through different channels. (AJ, AJ, REU, WAFA 5/25)
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Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says it has documented 42 forms of torture and inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees by Israel since 10/7/2023 based on 100 testimonies, including the breaking of bones, threats of rape, electric shocks, strip searches and forced nudity, urinating and spitting on detainees, humiliation by dressing detainees in diapers, and forcing detainees to imitate animal sounds. (AJ 5/25)
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EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell says ICJ orders are binding, calling on Israel to implement the orders from 5/25. Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares demands that Israel implement the orders. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/25)
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G7 finance leaders call on Israel to release the PA's tax revenue it is withholding and ensure that Israeli and Palestinian banks can continue to transfer money between them. (HA, WAFA 5/25)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man in al-Taybeh. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child in Sa'ir. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man, claiming he tried to stab Israeli soldiers near Beit ‘Anan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Qusra and Husan, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also arrest at least 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces close off large parts of Sheikh Jarrah for a settler festival. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 81 people, including at least 45 people in a tent camp in Rafah. 8 rockets are launched toward Tel Aviv, no damage is reported. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat and another succumbs to wounds sustained last week. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shaab, Houla, Yaroun, and Naqoura, killing at least 8 people and injuring another. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Ramin, Yiftah, and Kiryat Shmona. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/26; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA 5/27; HA 5/28)
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More than 35,984 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 80,643 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 512 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 124 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 287 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,781 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 5/26)
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The Israeli Supreme Court rejects an appeal by the Shehadeh family in Batn al-Hawa against their forced eviction from their 4-floor home by 6/1/2024. Israeli settlers affiliated with the Ateret Cohanim settlement organization originally convinced the Israeli courts to evict the Shehadeh family and allow Israeli settlers to take over the building. (PCN 5/26)
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After the massacre at the Rafah tent camp, Hamas calls on Palestinians throughout Palestine and abroad “to rise up and march angrily against the ongoing Zionist massacre against our people.” The PA calls for immediate international intervention. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the many deaths a “tragic error” but defends the attack by saying it killed 2 members of Hamas. Italy and Germany, who usually defend Israel internationally, condemn the Israeli attack, with Italian defense minister Guido Crosetto saying “this can no longer be justified.” German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says the ICJ rulings from 5/24 must be respected, calling them binding. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby calls the images coming out of Rafah “devastating” but says Israel is investigating the incident. (AJ, AJ, HA 5/26; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/27; WAFA, WAFA 5/28)
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The EU hosts a meeting on Israel's war on Gaza, ways to move toward a 2-state solution, and to strengthen the PA in Brussels with PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa, Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan, and Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in attendance. Prime Minister Mustafa tells the EU that the priority for the international community should be working toward an immediate ceasefire and urges EU countries to recognize the State of Palestine. Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan tells reporters that Israel “cannot exist without the existence of a Palestinian state.” (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 5/26; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/27)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stab and injure 2 Palestinians near Beit ‘Anan. Israeli settlers also steal a water tank in al-Farisiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attack shops in Sabastia. Israeli settlers also raid Burqa, setting fire to Palestinian property. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands near Duma and Husan. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles in Huwwara. Israeli forces raid Kafr Dan, damaging several vehicles. Israeli forces also raid al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinian during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, al-Bireh, and Jericho. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Yunis, al-Bureij, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 66 people. Israeli forces also attack the Indonesian Field Hospital in Rafah, causing damage to the upper floors. Israeli and Egyptian forces exchange fire at the Rafah crossing, resulting in the killing of 1 Egyptian soldier and injuries to others; the circumstances leading to the shooting are unclear. In Haifa, Palestinian citizens of Israel protest the Israeli attack on Rafah on 5/26, calling on Israel to end the war; 9 people are arrested during the demonstration. In Eliat, Israeli forces intercept 3 drones launched at the city by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a motorcyclist outside of the Salah Ghandour Hospital in Bint Jbeil, killing 2 people and injuring 10 others. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli military sites in Beit Hillel, Miskaf, Margaliot, and al-Malikiyah. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/27; AJ, AP 5/28)
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More than 36,050 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 81,026 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 512 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 124 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 287 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,801 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah is put out of service by Israeli attacks on the hospital's staff and the surrounding area. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/27; AJ 5/28)
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Algeria requests an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the Israeli attack on Rafah on 5/26, which killed at least 45 people. Belgian deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter calls for immediate sanctions against Israel. French president Emmanuel Macron says he is “outraged” by the attack and demands that Israel end its invasion and attack on Rafah. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA 5/27)
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EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell says EU foreign ministers will discuss possible actions relating to EU-Israel relations after the attack on Rafah to ensure that Israel complies with the ICJ rulings and says the EU foreign ministers approved an EU mission to secure the Rafah crossing but that it would need approval from the PA, Israel, and Egypt. Borell also says that Israel is trying to strangle the PA economy. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar urge EU members to recognize the State of Palestine during the second day of Arab-EU meetings in Brussels. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/27; HA 5/28)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uproot 300 vine tree seedlings, 100 olive tree seedlings, and 100 almond tree seedlings in al-Khader. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Beita. Israeli forces also raid Qabalan, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a house under construction in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. Israeli forces also arrest 22 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tubas, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolish a 3-story residential building in Silwan and a printing press in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, al-Mawasi, Faluja, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 46 people, including 21 people at a tent camp in al-Mawasi. Israeli forces reportedly enter the center of Rafah. 3 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat in Rafah. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 2 sites in Al Hudaydah. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces fire a missile at a ship, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/28; AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA 5/29)
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More than 36,096 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 81,136 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 512 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 124 children. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 290 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,801 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. UNRWA says around 1 million people have fled Rafah since 5/6. The Palestinian Red Crescent says it has evacuated Al-Quds Field Hospital in the Mawasi area of Rafah due to Israeli attacks in the area. The Gaza Health Ministry says all hospitals in Rafah, except for the Tal Sultan Maternity Hospital, are out of service. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/28; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/29)
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Haaretz reports that the Israeli military police is investigating the killing of 2 Palestinians who were beaten to death while being transported from Khan Yunis in Gaza to the Sde Teiman detention center in March. The Knesset approves an extension of the temporary order allowing Israel to hold Palestinian prisoners in crowded spaces until the end of 2024. (HA, HA 5/28)
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Islamic Jihad releases a video of Israeli captive Alexander Trufanov. (AJ, HA, HA 5/28)
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The U.S. Department of Defense says the floating aid pier connected to Gaza has been damaged by high seas and will take at least a week to repair and then will have to be re-anchored. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU 5/28; AP 5/29; AP 5/30)
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Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognize the State of Palestine along the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, bringing the number of countries that have recognized the State of Palestine to 146 out of 193 UN members. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez says the establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only route to peace,” calling the decision “a matter of historical justice.” Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide calls the decision “a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.” Irish prime minister Simon Harris says Ireland has taken the step to keep “a 2-state solution alive at a time when others are trying to sadly bomb it into oblivion.” Ireland also says it will open an embassy to Palestine in Ramallah. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz claims Sanchez is a “partner to incitement” of Jewish “genocide.” Malta and Slovenia have signaled that they will recognize the State of Palestine in the near future. French president Emmanuel Macron says France will recognize the State of Palestine “at a useful moment.” (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/28; HA 5/29)
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The UN Security Council discusses Israel's attack on Rafah on 5/26 in a closed-door emergency session called by Algeria. Algerian ambassador to the UN Amar Bendjama says Algeria will circulate a draft resolution with “a short text, a decisive text, to stop the killing in Rafah.” French ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere tells reporters before the meeting that the council “needs to act.” The OIC also calls on the council to act, citing the “heinous massacre” in Rafah. (AJ, AP, HA 5/28; HA, REU, WAFA 5/29)
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Saudi Arabia issues a statement condemning the Israeli attack on Rafah on 5/26 as a continuation of the “genocidal massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people.” (HA 5/29)
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U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the Biden administration opposes calls from Congress to sanction ICC officials over the request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Defense Department deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh says it is still the U.S.'s assessment that Israel's attack on Rafah is “limited in scope.” Kirby defines a “major ground operation” in Rafah as Israeli troops entering Rafah “with large units, large numbers of troops in columns and formations in some sort of coordinated maneuver against multiple targets on the ground.” (AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 5/28)
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Mexico files a declaration of intervention in the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. (AJ, WAFA 5/29)
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The Guardian reports that former Mossad director Yossi Cohen, under the director of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatened former ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to get her to drop her case against Israel, telling her that she should not “be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.” The reports also reveal that Mossad received support in its mission to threaten Bensouda from then DRC president Joseph Kabila. +972 Magazine reports that the Israeli surveillance and intimidation of ICC officials has continued after Karim Khan became chief prosecutor in 2021. Haaretz says an Israeli security official threatened one of their journalists who was reporting on the story in 2022, telling the journalist that if he published the story or shared it with foreign media he would “suffer the consequences and get to know the interrogation rooms of the Israeli security authorities from the inside.” (+972, AJ, GDN, HA, HA 5/28; AJ, HA 5/30)
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CNN reports that it was a U.S.-made GBU-39 small diameter bomb that killed at least 45 people in a tent camp in Rafah on 5/26. Al Jazeera and New York Times investigations later make the same finding. (CNN 5/28; AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 5/29)
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The University of Copenhagen says it will divest from companies that do business in West Bank settlements, divesting $145,810 from Airbnb, Booking.com, and eDreams. The move follows a campaign by students at the university. The Danish parliament votes down a proposal to recognize the State of Palestine with 21 votes for and 83 against. The Australian parliament also votes against recognizing the State of Palestine with 5 votes for and 80 against. (AJ, HA, REU 5/28; AJ 5/29)
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The Washington Post reports that Stacey Gilbert, a U.S. State Department official at the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, resigned her position due to her objections to the U.S. assessment that Israel does not prohibit or restrict U.S. aid deliveries to Gaza. (AJ 5/29; AJ, REU 5/30)
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Former U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley visits Israel, writing “finish them” on an Israeli artillery shell. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/29)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up a settlement outpost near Artas. Israeli forces raid Madama, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also stop an ambulance near Nablus, arresting a health care worker. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in a car ramming near Nablus; a man reportedly turns himself into the PA for the incident. Hamas militants fire live ammunition at Bat Hefer across the Green Line; no injuries are reported. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 74 people. Israeli forces also bomb a Red Crescent ambulance, killing 2 paramedics in the Tal as-Sultan area of Rafah. Israel says it has taken control over the entire Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza. 3 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khiam, Aqoura, Ramyah, and At Tiri. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Shtula. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Baniyas, killing a Syrian girl and injuring 10 others. In Yemen, Houthi forces shoot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Marib province. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/29; AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA 5/30)
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More than 36,171 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 81,420 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 512 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 124 children. More than 5,100 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 293 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,831 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The UN says the amount of aid arriving in Gaza has dropped by 67% since 5/7. World Central Kitchen suspends its operations in Rafah, citing ongoing Israeli attacks. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/29; WAFA 5/30)
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The Palestinian Prisoners' Society says scabies are spreading among Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, especially in the Ktzi'ot and Megiddo prisons. (AJ 5/29)
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Footage of Israeli unmanned armored personnel carriers (APCs) in Rafah circulates on social media. The unmanned APCs are reportedly carrying explosives that are detonated inside buildings in Gaza. (HA 5/29)
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Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi says the Israeli war on Gaza could last through the end of 2024. Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi tours Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT 5/29; HA 5/30)
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PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with French president Emmanuel Macron in a phone call. Macron reiterates his call for PA reforms, citing the “prospect of recognition of the State of Palestine.” PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa, and a delegation of Arab foreign ministers from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan, meet with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid (AJ, AP, AP, WAFA, WAFA 5/29)
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The Knesset passes a preliminary bill designating UNRWA a terrorist organization. Doctors Without Borders calls the vote “outrageous.” The Times of Israel reports that the Israel Land Authority has instructed UNRWA to vacate its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah within 30 days. UNRWA says it has not been notified of the order to vacate. (JP, WAFA 5/29; AJ 5/30)
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At the UN Security Council, PA deputy ambassador to the UN Majed Bamya tells the council that “you have learned to live with Israel's irrational and racist behavior, but we die because of it.” U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood says Israel should remove all barriers to aid arriving in Gaza and that Israeli harm to civilians “undermines Israel's strategic goals in Gaza,” citing the attack on Rafah on 5/26. The council discusses a draft Algerian resolution to end the Israeli invasion of Rafah and call for a ceasefire and the release captives held in Gaza. Wood calls the resolution unhelpful (AJ, AP, AP, NYT, REU 5/29; REU 5/30)
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More than 30 countries back a proposal at the WHO annual assembly that would require the WHO to boost documentation of the “catastrophic humanitarian crisis” and possible starvation in Gaza and condemn Israeli attacks on the Palestinian health care sector. PA health minister Majed Abu Ramadan meets with U.S. secretary of health and human services Xavier Becerra on the sidelines of the annual assembly, discussing the destruction of the Gaza health sector. (AJ, REU, WAFA 5/29)
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EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell meets with UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini, pledging continued EU financial and political support. EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement Oliver Varhelyi meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling the meeting with Netanyahu an honor. (AJ, REU 5/29)
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U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken tells reporters that he does not know if Israel used U.S.-supplied weapons in the attack on Rafah on 5/26 and calls on Israel to formulate a plan for the day after its war on Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/29)
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Brazil withdraws its ambassador to Israel. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, WAFA 5/29)
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Lebanon reverses plans to authorize the ICC to investigate war crimes committed in Lebanon. (REU 5/29)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to tents and sheds in Deir Dibwan. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling west of Nablus, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Ramallah, injuring 5 others and destroying a large vegetable market. Israeli forces also raid Jenin, shooting and injuring 6 Palestinians and causing extensive damage. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure 3 Palestinians during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolish an agricultural structure and uproot fruit trees in Tura. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Tubas, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Isawiya, displacing 9 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Hanun, Shati' refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 53 people. Israeli forces also invade the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City and withdraw from Jabalia after a 20-day invasion, widespread destruction in Jabalia is reported. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Houla, killing 2 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Israeli forces in al-Manara and Zarit. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces bomb 13 sites in Sanaa, Al Hudeydah, and Ta'izz, killing 16 people and injuring 35 others. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/30; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/31)
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More than 36,224 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 81,777 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 513 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 124 children. More than 5,100 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 295 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,831 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The U.S. says it has not airdropped aid over Gaza since 5/9, claiming bad weather and the Rafah invasion has prevented the military from doing so. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 5/30)
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Hamas says it is willing to engage in ceasefire negotiations on the premise that the war on Gaza ends but that it will not negotiate while under attack. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/30)
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Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israeli forces will turn West Bank cities into ruins “like in the Gaza Strip, if the terror you are exerting on the settlements continues.” The Israeli military lifts a ban on Palestinians in Gaza importing goods from Israeli companies. (AJ, HA, REU 5/30)
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Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob announces that his government has recognized the State of Palestine, asking the parliament to approve the decision. The parliament is expected to vote on the issue on 6/4. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/30; NYT 5/31)
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Chinese president Xi Jinping says during a meeting with Arab leaders at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing that China will donate $69 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and $3 million to UNRWA. Xi also calls for an international peace conference to resolve the underling conflict, saying “justice should not be absent forever.” (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/30)
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U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin speaks with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, discussing Israel's war on Gaza and the need for humanitarian aid deliveries. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel says the White House maintains that the Israeli invasion of Rafah is not “a major military operation.” (AJ, AP, HA 5/30)
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Police in Detroit raid a pro-Palestine student encampment at Wayne State University, arresting at least 12 people. (AJ, HA 5/30; AP 5/31)
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U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is convicted on all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. The sentencing hearing will be held on 7/11. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT 5/30)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their sheep to graze on wheat fields near Sabastia, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a late-night raid in Nablus. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a paramedic and injure others with tear gas during a raid in al-Fawwar refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issue a punitive demolition notice for a Palestinian home in Za'atra. Israeli forces also arrest 7 Palestinians during raids in Faqqua, Nablus, and Jalbun. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and al-Bureij, killing at least 60 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Houla, Naqoura, and Maroun al-Ras, killing a medic in Naqoura. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces say they targeted a U.S. aircraft carrier, a destroyer, and 3 other vessels. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/31)
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More than 36,284 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,103 children and 10,000 women, and around 82,057 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 513 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 124 children. More than 5,100 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 295 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,848 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 74 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/31; UNRWA 6/6)
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The Palestinian Civil Defense says they have found more than 70 bodies in rubble after Israeli forces withdrew from Jabalia on 5/30 after a 20-day invasion. The Civil Defense also says that more than 1,000 homes were destroyed during the invasion. Al Jazeera reports that Israel has systematically demolished 32% of Gaza to enlarge the buffer zone and create a new zone between northern Gaza and the south. The Al Jazeera investigation does not include destruction along the Philadelphi Corridor. (AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/31)
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The PA calls on the UN Security Council to act against an Israeli legislative push to designate UNRWA a terrorist organization. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says the EU condemns Israeli plans to label UNRWA a terrorist organization. The EU contributes $27 million to the PA to help pay for salaries and pensions and $17 million to UNRWA. (AJ, WAFA 5/31; AJ, WAFA 6/1)
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Hamas releases a recording of an Israeli female captive urging Israel to agree to a ceasefire. (AJ, AP, HA 5/31)
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U.S. president Joe Biden presents what he says is an Israeli ceasefire proposal which includes 3 phases. The first phase includes a 6-week ceasefire with Israeli forces leaving population centers, the exchange of some captives held in Gaza for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, Palestinians being allowed to return to their homes, and 600 trucks entering Gaza daily. The second phase includes a negotiated permanent ceasefire, the release of the remaining captives held in Gaza, and the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The third phase includes a reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of bodies of Israelis killed in Gaza. Biden says Hamas no longer is capable of carrying out a large-scale attack on Israel and that it is “time for this war to end and for the day after to begin.” Hamas says it will engage with the proposal “positively and constructively.” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not end the war until Hamas is eliminated. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich say they will leave the government coalition if Israel agrees to the ceasefire deal. French president Emmanuel Macron issues a statement in support of the deal. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discusses the ceasefire proposal with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU 5/31; AJ, AJ, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 6/1; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU 6/2; AP, AP, NYT, REU 6/3; REU 6/4)
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The WHO Assembly expands the State of Palestine's rights and privileges within the organization in a vote with 101 in favor, 5 against, and 21 abstaining. (WAFA 6/1)
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Spanish foreign minister Jose Albares says Spain rejects restrictions that Israel plans to impose on the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem offering services to Palestinians in the West Bank, saying its status is guaranteed by international law. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz responds by saying he will strictly enforce the restrictions. (AJ, WAFA 5/31)
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U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) write a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, inviting him to address a joint session of Congress. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 5/31; HA 6/2)
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France bars Israel from participating in the Eurosatory Security Fair. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz speaks to French prime minister Gabriel Attal, saying the decision to bar Israel rewards terrorism. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 5/31)
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Ghent University severs ties with 18 Israeli universities and academic institutions, saying they no longer align with the university's human rights policy. The university previously ended relations with 3 Israeli institutions, citing the same reasons. (HA, REU, WAFA 5/31)
