The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Burin, setting fire to a vehicle and attacking homes. Israeli settlers also seize and occupy dozens of residential caves in Tuqu’, ‘Arab al-Rashayida, Kaysan, Za’atra, and Bayt Ta’mar. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling in Huwwara. Israeli settlers posing as soldiers also attack a school in Khallet al-Maiya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers throw stones at a house in Turmus ‘Ayya and attempt to set fire to it, causing damage to the house, a solar panel, and several vehicles. Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinians and injure 9 others during a raid in Dura; a video shows that Israeli forces used a Palestinian man they took from his phone shop as a human shield. A video circulating on social media also shows 2 Israeli soldiers kicking a man lying on the ground during the raid. Israeli forces also fatally shoot a member of the PA security forces during a raid in Nur Shams refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man and demolish 2 homes and a barbershop, displacing 12 people during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 8 Palestinians, including 2 children, at a checkpoint in Qalandia and in Bayt Liqya, Qiffin, and Nablus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces assault 2 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp and Beita. Israeli forces also demolish a greenhouse in al-Jalama. Israeli forces arrest 48 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bayt Awa, Dura, Bayt Rima, Jalazone refugee camp, Beitin, Zababdeh, and Nablus, including 25 students at an-Najah University in Nablus. In Ra’anana, Israeli police arrest 2 Palestinians from Hebron, saying they rammed and stabbed 13 Israelis, killing 1 of them. Israeli forces subsequently raid the family homes of the 2 Palestinians in Bani Na’im and Bayt ‘Amr, taking measurements for punitive demolitions; tear-gas related injuries are reported in both places as Palestinians resist the raids. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the fourth day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 132 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. Rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces conduct airstrikes on Maroun al-Ras. Rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces attack a U.S.-owned container ship, causing damage. In Iraq and Syria, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps attack what it calls a Mossad espionage headquarters near Erbil with ballistic missiles, killing 4 and injuring 6 others and alleged ISIS perpetrators of terrorist operations in Iran in eastern Syria. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, 1/15; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 1/16; HA 1/18)

More than 24,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,870 women and children, and around 60,834 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 348 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 87 children. More than 4,197 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, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 186 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,113 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 108 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/15)

Hamas releases a video of the bodies of 2 Israeli captives it says have been killed in an Israeli airstrike. In another video a captive says she was injured in an Israeli airstrike. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/15)

Israel’s military says it has withdrawn an army division from Gaza, leaving 3 combat divisions in the area. The military also transfers the Duvdevan unit from Gaza to the West Bank as Israeli military officials say the West Bank is “on the brink of an implosion.” (AJ, HA, HA 1/15)

The Knesset approves the extension of an emergency regulation allowing Israel to deny Palestinian prisoners meetings with their lawyers for up to 180 days and approves the first reading of an extension of the temporary order which allows poorer conditions for prisoners. The Israeli cabinet approves the 2024 budget, slashing funds earmarked for the development of Palestinian communities in Israel by 15% and allocating $80 million to the Settlements and National Missions Ministry. 5 members of Benny Gantz’s National Unity party vote against the budget. (AJ, HA, REU 1/15; AJ, AJ, HA, HA 1/16)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid claims Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are not speaking to each other. Gallant reportedly stormed out of a cabinet meeting this weekend after 1 of his aides was refused entry. (AJ, HA 1/15)

In the West Bank, 15 Israeli settler families moved into a Palestinian-owned building between the Kiryat Arba settlement and al-Ibrahimi Mosque. Israeli forces guarded the settlers as they moved into the building. The settlers were evacuated from the building on 5/15. Israeli settlers with military escort raised Israeli flags near the entrance to Jannatah. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 1 Palestinian vehicle in Masafer Yatta. Israeli forces shot and injured 13 Palestinians during a raid in Jenin refugee camp; 2 were arrested. 1 of the Palestinians injured later succumbed to his injuries on 5/15. Israeli soldiers fired a short-range missile at a building during the raid, severely damaging a house where 19 Palestinians were sleeping and subsequently fired another 6 anti-tank missiles at the house. Israeli forces also used a Palestinian minor and her father as human shields during the incident. Israeli forces also raided Burqin, injuring several Palestinians; 1 Israeli soldier was injured and later succumbed to his injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, injuring 1 with a baton round and more than 20 with tear gas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian near the Beit El settlement, claiming he had tried to attack Israeli settlers. Elsewhere, Israeli forces prevented Palestinian and Israeli activists traveling in buses from reaching Masafer Yatta to show solidarity with eviction-threatened Palestinians. Israeli settlers later assaulted a group who had proceeded on foot, injuring 5. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians using stun grenades and batons during the funeral procession for Shireen Abu Akleh, assaulting the pallbearers among many others; 33 were treated for various injuries, including a photojournalist. Israeli forces also confiscated Palestinian flags, including from the coffin, and arrested 6 for waving Palestinian flags. Haaretz reported that it was Jerusalem district commander Doron Turgeman who ordered the Palestinian flags confiscated during the funeral procession. In Israel, Israel said it had arrested 1 Palestinian teen for allegedly carrying a knife and a letter stipulating his intent to carry out an attack. (AA, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, CBS, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, JP, MDW, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, NYT, PCN, REU, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 5/13; AP, PCHR, REU, WAFA 5/14; AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE 5/15; AP, HA, MDW, MEMO, REU, WAFA 5/16; DCI-P, PCHR 5/19; HA 5/26; UNOCHA 6/4)

Israel indicted Sheikh Yusuf Albaz, the imam at Lydda’s Great Mosque, for incitement over alleged remarks celebrating Palestinians defending al-Aqsa Mosque. (HA 5/13)

Palestinian public prosecution said in a statement that the preliminary investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh found that the only source of gunfire at the scene where Abu Akleh was killed was from Israeli soldiers. (WAFA 5/14)

The U.S. Biden administration expressed dismay at the Israeli police’s dispersal of Palestinians at the funeral procession for Abu Akleh (see above). President Joe Biden said Israeli actions had to be investigated. Secretary of state Antony Blinken said the U.S. was “deeply troubled.” UN secretary-general António Guterres said he was “deeply disturbed” by the Israeli actions while the EU called the videos of the Israeli attacks appalling. (AJ, AX, MDW, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; WAFA, WAFA 5/15; MEE 5/18)

The U.S. state department informed Congress that it will remove 5 extremist groups from its list of foreign terrorist organizations, saying they are defunct. Among the 5 are the Jewish terrorist organization Kahane Chai and a Gaza-based umbrella organization for militant groups, the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem. (AP, HA 5/15; MEMO 5/16; AJ 5/17; AJ, AP 5/20; WAFA 5/21; HA 5/22; MEMO 5/23)

In Syria, Israeli forces conducted air strikes in Masyaf, reportingly killing 5 and wounding 7 others. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 5/13; JP, TOI 5/15)

The UN security council unanimously condemned the Israeli killing of Abu Akleh on 5/11, calling for an impartial investigation. The U.S. noticeably supported the statement, rather than abstaining or voting against. (AP 5/13; AJ 5/14)

At a meeting between U.S. president Joe Biden and Jordan’s king Abdullah II in Washington, President Biden reaffirmed the U.S.’s position that Jordan is the custodian of the Muslim Holy sites in Jerusalem. (AP, REU 5/13)

Berlin police banned a gathering in remembrance of Abu Akleh, organized by the Jewish organization Jüdische Stimme. (AJ 5/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh, a prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist, while her and colleagues, wearing press uniforms, were covering a raid in Jenin refugee camp, 1 other journalist was injured (for more see below). Israeli forces subsequently raided the home of Abu Akleh in East Jerusalem, where her friends and family were gathered; the Israeli forces confiscated Palestinian flags. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian with a baton round in al-Bireh; several others were also injured with baton rounds. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 19 structures in Masafer Yatta, including 9 residential structures and delivered demolition notices for another 19 structures, including 6 homes. The demolitions followed a high court of justice ruling on 5/4, allowing Israel to displace more than 1,000 Palestinians in the area. Israeli forces also demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Walaja and 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Twana. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Nur Shams refugee camp, Beita, and Silwad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian in the Old City, claiming that the man had charged at Israeli police; Israel did not say whether the man was armed. Israeli forces also demolished a commercial structure in Jabel Mukaber. (AA, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, INT, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; +972, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, IN, MEE, MEE, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, WAFA, WP 5/12; HA, UNOCHA 5/13; AJ 5/19; AJ, MEE 5/20; UNOCHA 6/4)

After Israeli forces killed Abu Akleh, Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was Palestinian gunfire that killed her. Later, after B‘Tselem, among others, had proved that it could not have been the Palestinians Israel claimed had hit Abu Akleh; Israel later acknowledged that it may have been their soldiers that killed Abu Akleh with a shot to the head, as her colleagues and other eyewitnesses had said. Israel said it would investigate the incident and offered that the PA join their investigation, which the PA rejected, calling for an international investigation and referring the case to the ICC. According to the PA, Israel claimed that the PA had rejected the joint investigation before Israel had offered it as a possibility to the PA. PA civil affairs minister Hussein Sheikh said that Israel deliberately had targeted her for assassination. The Israeli diaspora minister Nachman Shai acknowledged in an interview “that Israel’s credibility is not very high in such events.” Several countries called for an investigation into Abu Akleh’s death. Israel later said that its initial investigation into the death of Abu Akleh was inconclusive. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, INT, MEE, MEE, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, CBS, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA. HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP, WSJ 5/12; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, JP, LT, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, TIME, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; REU, WAFA 5/14; AP 5/16; MEE 5/19)

400 members of the Nachala settler movement gathered at a conference in the West Bank, discussing plans to erect 10 new settlement outposts on 20 July later his year. (HA 5/14)

Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked signed an order to merge the unrecognized village of Dahmash with the city of Ramle, despite opposition to the merger from the village’s Palestinian residents. The residents of Dahmash had begun making their own plans for merging with Sdot Dan Regional Council because the council includes several farming communities like Dahmash, but the interior ministry advised against this due to Sdot Dan being predominantly Jewish. (HA 5/12)

United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas told reporters that his party would give the Israeli government coalition another chance after temporarily suspending its membership of the coalition last month after days of Israeli-led violence at the Haram al-Sharif compound during the month of Ramadan. (AP, AX, HA, JP 5/11; ALM 5/12; TOI 5/13)

Syria said Israel had attacked 1 target in Khader in the Quneitra province; no injuries were reported. (AJ. HA, REU 5/11)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian teen shot by Israeli forces during an anti-settlement protest on 6/16 in Beita succumbed to his injuries. Israeli forces demolished 1 house in Halhul and displaced 8 Palestinians, demolished 1 car wash in Jinsafut, delivered demolition orders for 8 structures in Jawaya, and demolished 1 agricultural structure in Wadi Muhaisen. Israeli forces also shot and injured 4 Palestinians during a late-night raid in Jenin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces continued blocking the main road to ‘Azun for the 2d day in a row. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jalazun refugee camp, Yatta, Tarqumiyya, and Kafr Dan. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces conducted air strikes in Khan Yunis and Gaza City, causing damage; no injuries were reported. Israel said the air strikes were in response to incendiary balloons sent toward Israel, which were said to have ignited 8 fires. In Israel, a Palestinian Israeli journalist had large parts of his home blown up by a bomb planted in his house in Taibeh, causing severe damage but no injuries. This happened 2 weeks after his house was shot at by unknown assailants on 6/3. (ABC, AJ, AP, CNN, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/17; HA, MEMO, WAFA 6/18; WAFA 6/21; PCHR 6/24)

The Palestinian Health Work Committees reopened its office in al-Bireh despite an Israeli order to close the office for 6 months after a raid on 6/9. The PA health minister Mai al-Kaila attended the reopening ceremony. (WAFA 6/17; WAFA 6/19)

The new Israeli health minister Nitzan Horowitz of Meretz (Vigor) decided to loan the PA 1.2 million nearly expired doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in exchange for a shipment of Pfizer vaccines set to arrive to the PA in 2022. (AP, HA, REU, WAFA 6/18)

An Israeli court ordered a Palestinian woman be released into house arrest and criticized Israeli police for trying to force her to confess that she intended to hit an Israeli soldier with her car at a checkpoint in East Jerusalem on 6/15. (HA 6/20)

Israel arrested a Palestinian Israeli imam of Lydda’s largest mosque, Shaykh Yousef al-Baz, saying he had incited violence by sharing a clip from a movie showing people killing a police officer on Facebook. (HA 6/17; MEMO 6/18)

The Israeli justice ministry indicted 1 Israeli border police officer for reckless homicide in relation to the shooting of Eyad al-Hallaq, a Palestinian man with special needs, in the Old City of East Jerusalem on 5/30/2020. The indictment stated that the Israeli soldier executed al-Hallaq while he was lying on the ground, wounded and incapacitated. (AJ, AP, HA, MEE, MEMO, REU 6/17)

Israel shelled a location near the village of al-Qahtaniah in Quneitra, Syria. (TOI 6/17)

Haaretz reported that former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered official documents shredded on the last day in office. (HA 6/17; HA 6/21)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and foreign minister Yair Lapid spoke for the 2d time since the formation of the new Israeli government on 6/13. (REU 6/17; JP, HA 6/18)

In Lebanon, a general strike was held in protest over the Lebanese politicians’ inability to form a government. (AP 6/17)

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 1 other when the 2 confronted a group of settlers attempting to set fire to their crops near al-Rihiya, south of Hebron; +972 reported that the settlers mutilated the body of the Palestinian man they had shot dead. 10 Palestinians were killed and 209 wounded by Israeli forces throughout the West Bank. The casualties included: 1, and 39 injured during a protest in Shwaika near Tulkarm; several others were reported injured; 1 protester, and 2 injured in Salem; 1 protester in Asira; 1 protester, and 4 injured in Beita; 1 protester, and 18 others injured by live ammunition in Ya‘bad; 1 protester in Marda; 1 protester in Iskaka; 1 protester, and 4 injured in ‘Urif; 1 protester in Jericho; 1 Palestinian at a checkpoint, who allegedly tried to ram Israeli soldiers near Silwad; 148 protesters injured by live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets during protests in and around Dayr Nidham, Bayt Dajan, Bayt Furik, al-Fawar refugee camp, al-Khadir, Salfit, Tayassir, Huwwara, Aqraba, Ni‘lin, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Qusra. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 6 during late-night raids in and around Qalandia refugee camp, Bayt Umar, and Sa‘ir; 7 were arrested during protests at the al-Jalama checkpoint near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and injured 19 Palestinians using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and sound bomb canisters during protests in and around Shaykh Jarrah, Bayt Hanina, Silwan, and the Old City. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in al-Tur, Silwan, and Sur Bahir. In Gaza, 22 Palestinians were killed, including 6 children, and dozens injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 114 to 136, including 33 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 9, including 3 children, and 73 injured, including 20 children, in air strikes on buildings in Bayt Lahiya and Bayt Hanun; 4 in an air strike on Gaza City, including 1 child; 3, including 1 child, in air strikes on Jabaliya; 1, and 16 injured, including 2 children, in air strikes on al-Bureij refugee camp; 1, and 1 wounded in an air strike on Abasan; 1 in an air strike while riding a motorbike in Rafah; 1 Palestinian was found dead in rubble from an air strike in Dayr al-Balah on 5/13; 1 Palestinian child succumbed to wounds sustained in an air strike on Gaza City on 5/12; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained in an air strike on 5/12 in Bayt Lahiya. Israel also said it had assassinated 3 Hamas operatives, Shadi Abed Al-Hadi, Osama Shehadeh, and Zakaria Zarendah. Israeli air strikes also destroyed an interior ministry building west of Gaza City and 3 poultry farms near Rafah, killing more than 10,000 chickens. Israeli forces also struck the fishing ports in Gaza city and Khan Yunis. Damage to power lines in Gaza was reported, significantly reducing the amount of available electricity. In Israel, Israeli forces killed 2 people after several people crossed from Lebanon into Israel by Metula. Israel also said that 3 rockets were fired at Israel from Syria, with 2 landing in open land in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and 1 in Syria. 2 rockets from Gaza hit 2 houses in Sderot, causing damage and 1 injury. 1 rocket from Gaza lightly injured 1 Israeli driving near Beersheba. Israel barred people from outside of Lydda from entering the city from 4 p.m. and barred all its residents from leaving their homes after 9 p.m. 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor was seriously injured, and another minor lightly injured, after a firebomb was thrown at their house in Jaffa; Israeli police claimed without evidence that it was 2 Palestinian-Israeli men that had thrown the firebomb. Israeli forces were filmed kicking Palestinian-Israeli vehicles traveling in Umm al-Fahm and firing stun grenades at them for no apparent reason. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor in Lydda, claiming he tried to throw a firebomb at them. 5 Palestinian-Israelis were arrested in Umm al-Fahm after a fire was ignited at the town’s city hall. 9 Palestinian-Israelis were arrested in ‘Akka. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian-Israeli protesters in Kafr Kana, injuring 28. Israel also told international news outlets that it would conduct a ground invasion of Gaza shortly and then later apologized to the news outlets for providing false information; analysts suspected that Israel used the media outlets to lure Hamas militants into tunnels before heavily bombarding said tunnels; Israel said that dozens were killed in the attack on the tunnels. Israel also shot down 1 drone sent from Gaza. 1 Israeli woman succumbed to injuries sustained after falling while running to a shelter in Neta’im on 5/11, raising the Israeli death toll to 9. In Jordan, some 500 protesters tried to enter the West Bank through the Allenby bridge, but were dispersed by Jordanian forces 3 miles from the border. In Amman, thousands of protesters called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and ending the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; AJ, AP, AP, GDN, HA, HA, HA, PCHR, PCHR 5/15; TOI 5/16; HA 5/19; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26; +972 6/8; INT 7/15)

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that 42% of the 119 people who have been killed in the Israeli attack on Gaza, at the time of reporting, were women and children. It also said 830 people had been injured. The UN estimated that 10,000 Palestinians have been internally displaced during the current escalation so far. (AJ, HA 5/14)

Spokesperson for PA president Mahmoud Abbas Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that the silence of the U.S. administration was encouraging Israeli war crimes in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank. (WAFA 5/14)

Morocco sent 40 tons of emergency aid to Palestine and denounced Israel’s aggression toward Palestinians. (HA 5/15)

The U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Israel and Palestinian affairs Hady Amr landed in Tel Aviv in an attempt by the U.S. administration to deescalate the situation. (AX, HA 5/14; HA 5/15)

A letter co-signed by 11 Jewish Democrats in the house of representatives, led by Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), urged the Biden administration to be more active in ending the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas and to do more to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The 11 members of Congress also expressed concern about the violence in East Jerusalem and urged Israel to halt the “unjust eviction” of Palestinians from their homes in Shaykh Jarrah, and said that the U.S. must address the deepening occupation. (HA 5/15)

Democrats in the House also debated the attack on Gaza on the floor, with 1 group of 11 speaking in defense of Palestinians and 1 group of 10 defending Israel’s actions. (AJ, HA 5/14)

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that she will continue with her inquiry into potential war crimes committed by Israelis and Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories despite Israel’s refusal to cooperate. Chief Prosecutor Bensouda also said that the investigation will include the current escalation of the conflict. (HA, REU 5/14)

The Italian trade union of port workers said that its members in Livorno had refused to load a shipment of weapons and explosives to be shipped to Israel, citing Israel’s attack on Gaza. (AA 5/15; WAFA 5/16; IN 5/17)