Israel/Palestinian Terr.: At least one Palestinian killed near Gaza border May 15 /update 4

Event

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shot and killed one Palestinian near the Israel-Gaza border on Tuesday, May 15, the final day of a six-week protest campaign in which dozens of Palestinians were killed and thousands more were wounded. Over 1000 people participated in the demonstrations along the border on Tuesday (Nakba Day) – less than the 35,000 Palestinians who participated in the demonstrations at several points along the Israel-Gaza border on Monday, May 14, as American and Israeli officials celebrated the opening of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem. At least 60 people were killed and 2200 others wounded in Monday’s protests. Thousands of people in Gaza attended the funerals of those killed on Monday in the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of Palestinians also reportedly participated in related protests throughout the West Bank on Tuesday, with dozens of people also being wounded by live ammunition or rubber bullets. Additional Palestinian protests, clashes between protesters and IDF personnel, heightened security measures, and consequent localized traffic disruptions are possible in Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the coming days.

Context

Large-scale Palestinian demonstrations have recently taken place in the Gaza Strip as part of a six-week tent city protest along the Israel-Gaza border. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed and thousands of others wounded in clashes with IDF personnel since the protests began on March 30. Smaller related protests have taken place in the West Bank. The protest movement culminated on May 15, the day referred to as Palestinians as the Nakba (“catastrophe”), which marks 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.

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.