- Jerusalem has seen violent clashes between Israeli police officers, Jewish settlers and Palestinians in recent days.
- An upcoming Supreme Court verdict and revenge attacks in the West Bank are contributing to the tension.
- Dramatic footage from the past week offers a window into the worsening unrest.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Jerusalem and the West Bank are in a state of unrest, and the current violence between Palestinians, Israeli security forces, and Jewish settlers are the worst in years.
A spike in settler and revenge attacks, the advent of significant but politically sensitive dates, and an upcoming verdict on Palestinian evictions from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood have all contributed to an atmosphere of chaos.
Dramatic footage of recent protests, clashes, and killings offers a window into the reality of the worsening conflict.
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Killings in the West Bank
Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has risen markedly in recent months, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). There have also been notable examples of Palestinian violence towards Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers.
- On May 2, an Israeli soldier shot a 60-year-old Palestinian woman who attempted a knife attack, the Israeli military said. She later died of her wounds, Reuters reported.
- Also on May 2, a Palestinian man carried out a drive-by shooting in the West Bank that killed a 19-year-old Israeli and left two other Jewish teenagers injured, France24 said.
- Extremist Jewish settlers vandalized property and hurled stones in the occupied West Bank village of Jalud on the night of May 2, according to Israeli human rights group Yesh Din.
- On May 5, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier. Saeed Odeh’s killing followed Palestinians in Beita hurling Molotov cocktails towards IDF soldiers, Sky News said. Large crowds attended the funeral.
- Three Palestinian gunmen shot at Israeli border police based in the occupied West Bank early on Friday, Reuters reported. Israeli fire killed two of the Palestinians and critically wounded the third, the news agency said.
Clashes in Jerusalem
Israel’s Supreme Court will decide on upholding a ruling that would see several Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, known in Hebrew as Shimon Hatzadik, removed from their homes.
The controversial case has sparked protests, violent clashes, and unrest in the holy city.
- On Thursday, Palestinians and Israeli settlers hurled rocks and chairs at each other in Sheikh Jarrah before Israeli police separated them, AP said.
- Videos of police violence towards residents of Sheikh Jarrah have emerged.
- On Friday, around 200 Palestinian worshippers were injured after clashing with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Insider’s Kelsey Vlamis and Sarah Al-Arshani reported.
- Videos from that night showed stun grenades landing inside prayer rooms at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Several buses carrying religious pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem for one of Ramadan’s holiest nights — Laylat al-Qadr — were held up at a police checkpoint on Saturday, The Washington Post reported. Many began walking to Jerusalem on foot instead, according to local media.
- On Saturday night, over 90,000 Muslims gathered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
—Salem Barahmeh(@Barahmeh) May 9, 2021
- Following prayers, many Palestinians gathered at the Damascus Gate in the Old City of East Jerusalem. Palestinian protesters hurled stones at the police, according to the BBC. This led to clashes with Israeli security who used tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades, The National’s senior correspondent Joyce Karam said on Twitter. Palestinian medics said 90 Palestinians were wounded, while Israeli police said at least one officer was hurt.
The violence is expected to continue into next week, with the Sheikh Jarrah verdict and advent of Nakba Day and Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday likely to further escalate a very tense situation.
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