Israel/Palestine unrest

This item appears on page 18 of the April 2020 issue.

Following the release of a proposed peace plan for Israel and Palestine by President Donald Trump, a plan roundly criticized by Palestinians and neighboring countries in the Middle East, protests broke out in the West Bank and Gaza, occasionally becoming violent.

In clashes with Israeli police and armed forces, two Palestinians and one Arab Israeli were killed on Feb. 6. At least 16 Israelis were wounded during the clashes; most injuries were minor.

From Gaza, rockets and artillery were fired into Israel after the peace-plan announcement. No casualties or damage were reported. Israel responded with air strikes on Gaza sites associated with the militant group Hamas.

On Feb. 23, after at least 26 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, causing minor damage, Israel fired rockets at sites in Gaza and Syria associated with the militant group Islamic Jihad. At least two members of Islamic Jihad were killed in Syria, while four people were reported wounded in Gaza.