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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
German chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AJ, AP, HA 5/2)
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)
47 NGOs and humanitarian organizations send a letter to U.S. president Joe Biden warning of an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ 5/3)
Palestinian journalists in Gaza are awarded the UNESCO World Press Freedom prize. (AJ 5/3)
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)