On Monday, May 14, the US officially moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and many Israelis and Americans celebrated; meanwhile, Israeli soldiers shot and killed more than 60 Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and wounded thousands of others.
In the aftermath, the international community strongly condemned Israel for its response, while the US has backed Israel’s use of force.
The clear majority of protesters who participated in Monday and Tuesday’s events were unarmed, though the Israeli military claimed that some of the protesters threw Molotov cocktails and said that they shot three people dead who were trying to plant a bomb. On Wednesday, an official with Hamas said that several of the protesters who died were affiliated with them, though this has been disputed.
No Israelis were injured.
Palestinians are in their seventh week of protests at the Gaza-Israel border. They’re protesting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from an Israeli and Egyptian blockade, and demanding their right to retur to lands in Israel that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were evicted from during the creation of the Jewish state.
Monday, the day the new US Embassy opened, marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, while Tuesday, May 15, was Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate their loss of land around the same time.
Background
Israeli authorities intensified settlement expansion and land appropriation in the OPT. US and international efforts to revive negotiations failed, and Israeli-Palestinian relations remained tense. In January, Israeli authorities passed the so-called “regularization law” that retroactively legalized the settler takeover of thousands of hectares of privately owned Palestinian land and an estimated 4,500 settler homes. In addition, Israeli authorities announced and issued tenders for tens of thousands of new settlement units in East Jerusalem and across the rest of the West Bank.
In September, the Hamas de facto administration in Gaza and the “national consensus” government in the West Bank embarked on a reconciliation process, which was rejected by Israel.
In December, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in violation of international law, sparking widespread protests across the OPT and globally.
Brutal killings
Israeli soldiers, police and security guards killed at least 75 Palestinians from the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and five Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. Some of those killed were shot while attacking Israelis or suspected of intending an attack. Many, including children, were shot and unlawfully killed while posing no immediate threat to life.
Violence against women and girls
There were new reports of violence against women; Palestinian communities in Israel were particularly affected. In June, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women issued recommendations urging Israeli authorities to carry out law and policy reforms by integrating CEDAW standards; to combat and prevent violence against women in Israel and the OPT; and to investigate reported abuses.
Conscientious objectors
At least six Israeli conscientious objectors to military service were imprisoned, including Tamar Zeevi, Atalia Ben-Abba, Noa Gur Golan, Hadas Tal, Mattan Helman and Ofir Averbukh. Israeli authorities recognized Tamar Zeevi as a conscientious objector and released her from conscription after she served a total of 100 days in prison.
In the aftermath, the international community strongly condemned Israel for its response, while the US has backed Israel’s use of force.
The clear majority of protesters who participated in Monday and Tuesday’s events were unarmed, though the Israeli military claimed that some of the protesters threw Molotov cocktails and said that they shot three people dead who were trying to plant a bomb. On Wednesday, an official with Hamas said that several of the protesters who died were affiliated with them, though this has been disputed.
No Israelis were injured.
Palestinians are in their seventh week of protests at the Gaza-Israel border. They’re protesting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from an Israeli and Egyptian blockade, and demanding their right to retur to lands in Israel that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were evicted from during the creation of the Jewish state.
Monday, the day the new US Embassy opened, marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, while Tuesday, May 15, was Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate their loss of land around the same time.
Background
Israeli authorities intensified settlement expansion and land appropriation in the OPT. US and international efforts to revive negotiations failed, and Israeli-Palestinian relations remained tense. In January, Israeli authorities passed the so-called “regularization law” that retroactively legalized the settler takeover of thousands of hectares of privately owned Palestinian land and an estimated 4,500 settler homes. In addition, Israeli authorities announced and issued tenders for tens of thousands of new settlement units in East Jerusalem and across the rest of the West Bank.
In September, the Hamas de facto administration in Gaza and the “national consensus” government in the West Bank embarked on a reconciliation process, which was rejected by Israel.
In December, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in violation of international law, sparking widespread protests across the OPT and globally.
Brutal killings
Israeli soldiers, police and security guards killed at least 75 Palestinians from the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and five Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. Some of those killed were shot while attacking Israelis or suspected of intending an attack. Many, including children, were shot and unlawfully killed while posing no immediate threat to life.
Violence against women and girls
There were new reports of violence against women; Palestinian communities in Israel were particularly affected. In June, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women issued recommendations urging Israeli authorities to carry out law and policy reforms by integrating CEDAW standards; to combat and prevent violence against women in Israel and the OPT; and to investigate reported abuses.
Conscientious objectors
At least six Israeli conscientious objectors to military service were imprisoned, including Tamar Zeevi, Atalia Ben-Abba, Noa Gur Golan, Hadas Tal, Mattan Helman and Ofir Averbukh. Israeli authorities recognized Tamar Zeevi as a conscientious objector and released her from conscription after she served a total of 100 days in prison.
Written By: Abobaker Khan
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