Gaza
Small-scale protests resumed at the border fence separating Gaza and Israel on Tuesday, May 15. The previous day Israeli troops confronted rioters, often using tear gas, to disperse crowds of hundreds of Palestinians. According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, 60 protesters killed with Israel characterizing 24 of them as active Hamas or other terrorist operatives. The White House blames Hamas for the protester’s deaths.
The IDF released video of Palestinians, some of whom carried knives and firebombs rushing the fence and infiltrating Israeli territory. Rioters also burned tires, used slingshots to shoot rocks at Israeli soldiers, and continued to launch kites with incendiary devices into Israel. Jerusalem also disclosed Israeli aircraft engaged terrorists trying attempting to plant explosives on the border fence and that it had destroyed an underground Hamas tunnel.
Israeli authorities also closed Kerem Shalom, a border crossing used to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza, after rioters set fire to a fuel storage area and other infrastructure at the facility.
Syria
Israeli warplanes bombed 50 Iranian targets in Syria known to house advanced Iranian weapons.
An IDF said spokesman that none of the 20 rockets fired from Syria in response hit Israel, with Iron Dome intercepting three of them. Jerusalem also released satellite images of the buildings destroyed.
Moscow announced it would not deliver updated S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, following a high-level meeting between Israeli and Russian officials.
West Bank
About 200 Palestinians gathered in Bethlehem and another 100 in Ramallah on May 15, to protest the Nakba or “catastrophe” as they call the establishment of Israel in 1948. Demonstrators burned tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded by firing tear gas.
An unknown attacker ran his/her car into an IDF soldier on May 11th outside of Nablus, injuring the 20-year-old. Magen David Adom evacuated the soldier to a local hospital.
An Israeli government report released this month alleges that the Palestinian Authority will pay some terrorists and their families more than $2.78 million in compensation for perpetrating attacks.
Sinai
The Egyptian Army stated in early May that it had killed 21 insurgents, arrested six people, and seized weapons and explosives in North and Central Sinai.
Egyptian prosecutors referred 555 suspected Islamic State-linked jihadists to face charges in military courts. According to officials, 216 would appear in court, but 339 of the suspects not in detention would be tried in absentia. Last month military courts sentenced 36 suspected of attacks against churches to death.
A video posted online earlier this month appears to show an Egyptian soldier performing an extra-judicial killing in Sinai.
