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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)