Israel/Palestinian Territories: Protests lead to clashes; one Palestinian killed by Israeli forces May 12

Event

One Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Nabi Saleh, north of Ramallah, in the early afternoon of Friday, May 12, after a demonstration escalated into clashes with the security forces. The victim was part of a group of young Palestinian protesters who were demonstrating in support of Palestinian detainees in Israel who have been on hunger strike for 26 days.

Similar clashes already took place near Ramallah on Thursday, May 11, resulting in six protesters being injured.

Although the situation appears to be under control, further sporadic protests are possible and are likely to lead to additional clashes.

Context

On April 17, Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons began a hunger strike against the conditions of jails in coordination with Palestinian Prisoners Day. According to Israel’s prison service, 1187 Palestinian detainees are participating in the strike under the leadership of Marwan Barghouti, a popular Palestinian political figure who remains influential in Fatah from within prison. Palestinians have planned multiple protests in support of the prisoners across the Palestinian territories.

Longstanding political and social tensions between Israelis and Palestinians contribute to frequent security incidents of varying severity. Israel claims that these incidents are largely the result of the Palestinian Authority (PA) fueling social unrest with calls to protest, whereas Palestinians criticize what they describe as an illegal occupation by the Israeli population. Tensions have been mounting since a December UNSC resolution condemned Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories as illegal; meanwhile, Israel continues to regularly demolish homes owned by Palestinians.

Advice

Individuals in the region should avoid all forms of demonstrations, protests, and gatherings due to the risk of violence.

On a separate note, due to the prevailing threat of terrorism, individuals throughout Israel should report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and always be on guard when visiting sites deemed particularly vulnerable to an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).