Gaza–Israel conflict The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when about 200,000 of the more than 700,000 Nakba, Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes settled in the Gaza Strip as ref ...

escalation began on 3 May 2019 after two Israeli soldiers were injured by sniper fire from the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

during the weekly protests at the Gaza–Israel border. In response, the

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...

carried out an airstrike, killing two Palestinians. Following this, hundreds of rockets were launched from Gaza at Israel, while the Israeli Air Force struck numerous targets within the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel increased its troop presence near the Israel–Gaza barrier. A ceasefire facilitated by Egyptian mediators went into effect on 6 May.

Exchanges of fire

Friday, 3 May

On 3 May, during the weekly protests at the Gaza–Israel border, two Israeli soldiers were injured in an attack by a Gazan sniper who, according to

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

(IDF), was connected to

Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), commonly known simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary organization formed in 1981. PIJ formed as an offsh ...

(PIJ). In response, the

Israel Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...

targeted a nearby

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

post with an airstrike, killing two people and injuring two others. The men killed were identified as Abdullah Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Salouh, 33 and Alaa Ali Hasan al-Boubli, 29. Hamas pledged to respond to the "Israeli aggression". In addition, two other Palestinians were killed and 60 wounded, 36 of them by Israeli gunfire.

Saturday, 4 May

According to IDF, more than 250 rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel, causing serious injury to at least one person. The Israeli Air Force and IDF struck more than 120 sites in the Gaza Strip. According to the Health Ministry of the Gaza Strip, these airstrikes killed four people – two men, and a woman with a toddler. According to Palestinian officials, the woman and toddler who died were identified as Falestine Abu Arar, 37, and her niece Siba Abu Arar, 14-months old. Thirteen other Palestinians were reportedly injured during the day. The IDF denied responsibility, stating that the woman and toddler were killed by Palestinian rocket fire. Al-Risala News run by Hamas also denied the claims against the IDF, saying that the PIJ was responsible for the deaths.

Sunday, 5 May

At least 200 more projectiles were launched from Gaza towards Israel, killing four people and injuring several others. An Israeli man was killed when a rocket struck in front of his home. The man was identified as Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old father of four. A rocket fired overnight damaged an empty kindergarten in Sderot, after landing in its yard and exploding. Later that day, a rocket directly struck a factory in the city of

Ashkelon Ashkelon ( ; , ; ) or Ashqelon, is a coastal city in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The modern city i ...

, leaving a man dead and two others injured. A

Kornet The 9M133 Kornet (; "Cornet", NATO reporting name AT-14 Spriggan, export designation Kornet-E) is a Russian man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) intended for use against main battle tanks. It was first introduced into service with the ...

anti-tank missile hit a private van in the

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

community of

Yad Mordechai Yad Mordechai (, ''lit.'' Memorial of Mordechai) is a kibbutz in Southern Israel. Located 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The communit ...

, killing the Israeli driver. Three people were injured in the

Eshkol Regional Council Eshkol Regional Council (, ''Mo'atza Ezorit Eshkol'') is a regional council in the north-western Negev, in Israel's Southern District. The regional council's territory lies midway between Ashkelon and Beersheba, bounded on the west by the Gaza St ...

– two lightly when a mortar shell landed in a yard, and a Thai worker was moderately wounded by a rocket that exploded in a field where he was working. A 35-year-old man was killed by shrapnel from a rocket that hit his Ashdod home later that day. In response, the IDF struck over 210 sites in the Gaza Strip during the day. A Hamas commander was killed by an airstrike during the day while travelling in a car down a street, marking the first targeted killing carried out by Israel in several years. The man was identified as Hamed Ahmed Abed Khudri, and was accused of transferring funds from Iran to Gaza. Palestinian factions threatened to use long-range rockets to attack Israel if the "aggression" continues. During the day, Israel deployed the 7th Armored Brigade and the

Golani Brigade The 1st "Golani" Brigade (, ''Hativat Golani'') is an Israeli military infantry brigade. It is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigades of the regular Is ...

to the Gaza–Israel border. Later that day, an Israeli airstrike killed 3 people in the northern Gaza town of

Beit Lahiya Beit Lahia or Beit Lahiya () is a city in the Gaza Strip, north of Jabalia, in the North Gaza Governorate of the State of Palestine. It sits next to Beit Hanoun and close to the border with Israel. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of ...

, including a pregnant woman, according to the Health Ministry of the Gaza Strip. The woman was identified as 33-year old Amani al-Madhoun.

Monday, 6 May

In the early morning of 6 May, a ceasefire agreement mediated by Egypt in its capital city

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

was reached, taking effect at 4:30 A.M (1:30

UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...

). At 7:00 A.M., Israel announced all restrictions for residents of the south were lifted, and schools opened normally.

International response

EU High Representative The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) is the chief co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the European U ...

Federica Mogherini Federica Mogherini (; born 16 June 1973) is an Italian politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. A member of the Democratic ...

called for armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to end rocket shootings towards Israeli territory, holding that attacks lead to suffering on both sides, and that the EU seeks security and stability in the region. She also backed Egypt in its pertinent role in the ceasefire mediation effort.

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

backed Israel's right to

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...

. He called on the Gazan people to "end the violence".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019, 5, Gaza-Israel clashes Gaza, 5 Israel, 5 Gaza, 5 Gaza, 5 Gaza–Israel conflict Israel–Gaza Strip border Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip

Gaza Gaza may refer to: Places Palestine * Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea ** Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip ** Gaza Governorate, a governorate in the Gaza Strip Mandatory Palestine * Gaza Sub ...