2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
On 6 May 2021, a conflict began between Palestinian protesters and the Israeli police over a planned Supreme Court of Israel decision about the evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood of East Jerusalem. It lead Hamas to launch rockets onto Israeli cities. The clashes injured more than 300 people, mostly Palestinian civilians.[1]
Conflict
[change | change source]Protests began on 6 May in Sheikh Jarrah. On 8 May, crowds threw rocks at Israeli police and chanted "Strike Tel Aviv" and "in blood, we will redeem al-Aqsa". On 9 May, Israeli police stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in response to stone-throwing Palestinian crowds.[2][3] In response, on May 10, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad started firing rockets into Israel.[4] Israel responded with airstrikes into Gaza.
Victims
[change | change source]Since 10 May, 62 Palestinians were killed, including fourteen children, and 335 more were wounded.[5] According to the Israel Defense Forces, at least fifteen of Palestinian casualties were Hamas members, and some were killed by Palestinian rockets. Israel reported that Palestinian rockets hit homes and a school, killing four Israeli civilians and an Indian citizen who lived in the country[6] and injuring at least 70 Israeli civilians.[7][8]
Ceasefire
[change | change source]On 20 May 2021, Israel agreed a ceasefire agreement with Gaza militants after 250 deaths due to the conflict. The ceasefire came into effect the next day.[9]
Political instability
[change | change source]The 2021 Palestinian legislative election for the Palestinian Legislative Council, originally scheduled for 22 May 2021, was indefinitely postponed on 29 April by President Mahmoud Abbas.[10][11][12] Hamas, which was expected to do well in the elections, called the move a "coup",[12] and some Palestinians believed Abbas had delayed the election to avoid political defeat for his party Fatah.[13] Analysts say the postponement contributed towards the current crisis, and encouraged Hamas to resort to military confrontation rather than diplomatic tactics.[14][15][16][17] Opinion pieces in NBC News, the Wall Street Journal and Foreign Policy argued that by taking responsibility for the rocket fire, Hamas had improved its standing among Palestinians wary of the delayed elections.[18][19][20][17]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Kingsley, Patrick (2021-05-09). "Israeli Court Delays Expulsion of Palestinian Families in East Jerusalem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
- ↑ Kingsley, Patrick; Kershner, Isabel (10 May 2021). "After Raid on Aqsa Mosque, Rockets from Gaza and Israeli Airstrikes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ↑ "TV: Palestinians stocked rocks for Temple Mount riots, police caught unawares". The Times of Israel. 8 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
- ↑ Alexander Smith, Lawahez Jabari and Paul Goldman (11 May 2021). "33 killed in Israeli airstrikes, Hamas rocket attacks as unrest spreads beyond Jerusalem". NBC News. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ↑ "As Israelis and Palestinians Battle, Rockets and Airstrikes Intensify". The New York Times. 2021-05-11. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- ↑ Gross, Judah Ari. "1 killed, 3 injured as Hamas fires anti-tank missile at Israeli jeep". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ↑ "Two Israelis ded, over 90 injured after rockets strike Ashkelon, Ashdod". The Jerusalem Post. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- ↑ "1 dead, 3 hurt as 'largest ever' Hamas barrage hits Ashdod, Ashkelon". Ynet. 2021-05-11. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- ↑ "Israel approves Gaza ceasefire to halt 11-day conflict". The Guardian. 2021-05-20. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
- ↑ "Abbas delays Palestinian parliamentary polls, blaming Israel". Al Jazeera. 30 April 2021. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ↑ "Palestinian parliamentary elections delayed, says Abbas, blaming Israel". Reuters. 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Krauss, Joseph (29 April 2021). "Abbas delays Palestinian elections; Hamas slams 'coup'". AP News. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ↑ Boxerman, Aaron (14 May 2021). "With Israel and Gaza already beset by chaos, West Bank 'explosion' looms". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ↑ Wallis Simons, Jake (14 May 2021). "Revealed: How Israel tricked Hamas". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ↑ Norman, Julie M. (12 May 2021). "Israel-Palestine conflict: the role of Hamas and Fatah rivalry in latest violence". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ↑ "What is the current Israel-Gaza crisis about and where is it heading?". The Guardian. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Israel and Hamas move closer to war". The Economist. 13 May 2021. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ↑ Shimoni-Stoil, Rebecca (11 May 2021). "Israel violence, from Al-Aqsa protests to Palestinian rockets, helps Netanyahu and Hamas". Think. NBC News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ↑ "Hamas Tests Israel—and Biden". Opinion. The Wall Street Journal. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ↑ Quinn, Colm (12 May 2021). "Israel and Hamas Enter Third Day of Conflict". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
