Israel/Palestinian Terr.: Israel-Gaza border calm amid ceasefire May 30 /update 2

Event

Calm was restored along the Israel-Gaza border amid a de facto ceasefire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) on Wednesday, May 30. The agreement comes after an intense exchange of fire between the sides on Tuesday, May 29, including the firing of dozens of rockets and mortars at Israel from the Gaza Strip, which was met by Israeli airstrikes and tank fire. Additional cross-border clashes are possible between the sides in the near-term.

Context

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. The new US Embassy in Jerusalem was officially inaugurated on May 14, leading to an extreme resurgence in tensions between Israel and Palestinian groups. Some 120 Gazans have been killed and thousands of others wounded by Israeli forces in recent protests along the Israel-Gaza border. The protest campaign climaxed on May 15 (Nakba Day; "catastrophe"), the day which annually commemorates the 1948 Palestinian exodus from the territory that became the State of Israel.

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.