West Bank: Escalation of Violence 13 April - 21 May 2021

The escalation of hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip, from 10 and 21 May, was accompanied by significant unrest in West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Tensions had been rising in East Jerusalem since the beginning of Ramadan on 13 April, with clashes and violent incidents involving Palestinians, Israeli settlers, and Israeli forces erupting on a daily basis. These were mainly in and around the Old City, including the Al Aqsa Mosque, and in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, due to the imminent threat of forced eviction of Palestinian families from their homes, initiated by Israeli settler organizations. Unrest extended to the wider West Bank, culminating in a “Day of Rage” on 14 May, with ten Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, the highest number of Palestinian fatalities recorded in a single day in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since OCHA began recording fatalities in 2005.