Israel/Palestinian Terr.: IDF wound 23 Palestinians near Gaza border May 18 /update 5

Event

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops reportedly fired gunshots and tear gas at Palestinian protesters along the Israel-Gaza border on Friday, May 18, wounding at least 23 people. The renewed protests come as the UN Human Rights Council called for an international inquiry into the human rights situation in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem on Friday, and after over 60 Palestinians were killed in clashes with IDF personnel on the Israel-Gaza border on Monday, May 14, and Tuesday, May 15. Continuing Palestinian protests, clashes between Palestinian protesters and IDF troops, and associated casualties are expected along the Israel-Gaza border in the coming days and weeks.

Context

Large-scale Palestinian demonstrations have recently taken place in the Gaza Strip along the Israel-Gaza border. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed and thousands of others wounded in clashes with IDF personnel since the demonstrations began on March 30. Smaller related protests have taken place in the West Bank. The protest movement culminated on May 15, the day on which Palestinians annually commemorate the Nakba ("catastrophe"), the 1948 Palestinian exodus from the territory that became the State of Israel.

A spike in tensions and cross-border incidents has been observed in Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the wake of US President Donald Trump's December 2017 announcement that the US would officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a departure from the previous US and international position of neutrality on the status of the city claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians, and would move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The new embassy was officially opened on May 14.

Advice

Individuals present in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are advised to avoid all protests or other public gatherings due to the high risk of violence and to monitor developments to the situation. Due to the underlying terrorist threat, travelers in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities. Some Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Israeli-Lebanese, Israeli-Syrian, and Israeli-Egyptian borders.