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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)