State of Palestine: Escalation of hostilities and insecurity in the Gaza Strip and West Bank

Armed hostilities and insecurity escalated in the Gaza Strip between 10–21 May, following increasing tensions between Palestine and Israel reported in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since mid-April. Palestinian armed group Hamas fired rockets into Israel, and Israeli security forces (ISF) responded with airstrikes and shelling on Gaza. Clashes and unrest between Palestinians, ISF, and civilians took place in East Jerusalem, the West Bank,and across Israel. The escalation of hostilities resulted in civilian casualties, displacement, infrastructure damage, and disruption of humanitarian activities and access to basic services on a scale not seen in Gaza since the 2014 war.