Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 20 – 27, 2025)

The IDF in the Gaza Strip

• This past week IDF forces continued extensive operations, attacking hundreds of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist targets in aerial and ground attacks. The targets included terrorist squads and operatives, the commander of Hamas’ aerial system in northern Gaza and terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Additional targets included weapons depots, booby-trapped buildings, tunnels, rocket launch sites, a currency exchange office used to transfer tens of millions of dollars to finance Hamas and PIJ terrorist activity, and other terrorist facilities, including command and control compounds, some of which operated from civilian structures.^[2] IDF sources reported slow, systematic, gradual progress by the ground forces. During the fighting an IDF soldier was killed in the southern Gaza Strip by an explosive device which collapsed the building he was in (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, May 20–27, 2025).
• The IDF Arabic spokesperson issued an urgent warning to all residents in the northern Gaza Strip neighborhoods of Ghabban, al-Shima’, Fadous, al-Manshiya, Sheikh Ziyad, al-Salatin, al-Karama, Beit Lahia Project, al-Zahour, Tel al-Zaatar, al-Nour, Abd al-Rahman, al-Nahda, and the Jabaliya Refugee Camp. He said IDF forces were operating intensively in the areas, which were considered active combat zones, and local residents were required to move south (IDF Arabic spokesperson, May 22, 2025). On May 26, 2025, an evacuation notice was published for the entire Khan Yunis area, designating it a “dangerous kill zone” (IDF Arabic spokesperson, May 26, 2025).

     
Right: Evacuation of northern Gaza Strip, as stated in the IDF spokesperson’s directive (IDF Arabic spokesperson, May 22, 2025). Left: Evacuation notice for Khan Yunis area (IDF Arabic spokesperson, May 26, 2025)

• The Hamas government media information office in the Gaza Strip claimed that “the Israeli occupation is imposing its control over 77% of the Gaza Strip through forced displacement and systematic killings.” The statement called on the international community to act urgently to stop the “crimes” (Telegram channel of the Hamas government media information office, May 25, 2025).
• The director general of the Hamas ministry of health in the Gaza Strip, Munir al-Barsh, and Hamas media outlets reported that nine children of two doctors from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis were killed in an Israeli attack on May 23, 2025, in the Qizan al-Najjar neighborhood in southern Khan Yunis (Facebook page of Munir al-Barsh and al-Aqsa TV, May 23, 2025). The IDF Arabic spokesperson said the attack occurred near the Fares gas station, an area designated for evacuation by the IDF on April 13, 2025, as part of a general order to evacuate the Qizan al-Najjar neighborhood. On May 19, 2025, the IDF spokesperson reiterated the evacuation order, and leaflets dropped were from the air in plain view. The IDF had made it clear that the area was to be emptied of civilians and that anyone who chose to remain did so at their own risk (IDF Arabic spokesperson, May 24, 2025).
• “Palestinian sources” reported that Muhammad al-Sinwar, the commander of the Hamas military wing, was killed in an Israeli attack on May 13, 2025, on a tunnel near the European Hospital in eastern Khan Yunis. Hamas reportedly notified al-Sinwar’s family of his death and delivered similar notifications to the families of other commanders, whose identities were not disclosed. According to one source, a special Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades force was sent to the targeted tunnel, identified the bodies and transferred them to another tunnel, most likely for temporary burial until the security situation stabilized. A “Hamas source” confirmed al-Sinwar’s death, adding that his escorts were also killed, including Rafah Brigade commander Muhammad Shabana, and another battalion commander from the brigade. The source said al-Sinwar and Shabana had entered the tunnel three days before the attack and were supposed to leave shortly thereafter, but security issues delayed their departure (al-Sharq al-Awsat, May 21, 2025).

Rocket fire

• This past week two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at the Ashkelon area and the Israeli communities near the border and were intercepted. There were no casualties. Six other rocket launches were identified, but they did not enter Israeli territory (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, May 20–27, 2025). The PIJ’s military wing claimed responsibility for the rocket fire (Telegram channel of the Jerusalem Brigades, May 21, 2025).

• Hamas condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that Israel was prepared for a “temporary” ceasefire and expressed opposition to the conditions he set for ending the war: the return of all hostages, exile of the Hamas leadership, disarmament of the movement and implementation of the Trump plan. Hamas called Netanyahu an “obsessive terrorist,” adding that his remarks were clearly aimed to disrupt the negotiations and prevent the release of prisoners (Hamas Telegram channel, May 21, 2025). Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha added that the movement did not accept Netanyahu’s conditions and asserted that the weapons of the “resistance”^[3] remained were not subject to negotiation (Al Jazeera Mubasher, May 21, 2025).
• “Sources” claimed that Qatar was considering withdrawing from its role as mediator in the Gaza Strip ceasefire due to dissatisfaction with Israeli positions, which were described as “rigid and obstructive to any attempt at agreement.” According to the report, Doha warned that it would not allow itself to be used to buy time to prolong the war. It was also reported that Turkey was attempting to enter the role of mediator but had encountered opposition from Israel (Rai al-Youm, May 24, 2025).
• Hamas political bureau member Bassem Na’im said Hamas was looking for a way out of the crisis to stop the bloodshed and end the siege imposed on the Palestinians. He said Hamas was in contact with all parties, especially the mediators, was “open-minded” and would consider any proposal as long as it ended the war and led to the withdrawal of “enemy” forces (Safa, May 25, 2025).
• According to “Egyptian sources familiar with the negotiations,” diplomatic contacts were underway in Cairo and Doha to reach an agreement, and had reached a delicate stage requiring agreement on several technical and political clauses. The sources added that the joint Qatari-Egyptian effort was focused on closing the remaining gaps, especially regarding arrangements for the “prisoner” exchange, the timing of the ceasefire and guarantees for its implementation. The sources also noted that the presence of the Steve Witkoff, the American envoy to the Middle East, reflected American awareness of the importance of reaching a resolution (al-Akhbar, May 27, 2025).

The situation in the Gaza Strip

• This past week more than 660 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, including flour for bakeries, food, medical equipment and medications. All trucks underwent strict security inspections (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories’ X account, May 20–27, 2025).
• The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the American company established to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, began distributing food packages in the Tel al-Sultan area in Rafah (Telegram channel of Hamza al-Masri, May 27, 2025). The Hamas ministry of the interior in the Gaza Strip claimed that the objective of the new mechanism was to allow the “Israeli occupation” to control the aid and “engineer the hunger of Palestinian civilians.” The ministry warned residents that “anyone who collaborates with the occupation in imposing its agenda will pay the price” and that “all necessary steps” would be taken (Telegram channel of the Hamas ministry of the interior, May 26, 2025).

     
Right: Receiving aid packages in Rafah (Telegramchannel of Hamza al-Masri, May 27, 2025).
Left: A line to the food distribution center (X account of al-Quds Revolts, May 27, 2025)

Reportedly, all [sic] international organizations rejected the American aid distribution plan, claiming it was “dangerous.” They claimed that relying on clans, families and civilians to protect the convoys could lead to looting, thereby reinforcing the implementation of the American plan, which they consider a moral and security failure (Telegram channel of Shehab, May 22, 2025). Simultaneously, civilian organizations in the Gaza Strip expressed strong opposition to the new American aid mechanism, which they claimed linked food distribution to security demands and sought to impose foreign supervision on the population, and accused the American establishment of cooperating with the “Israeli far-right” policy. The organizations praised UNRWA and international bodies that refused to cooperate with the new arrangement and called for legal action against those involved in the policy (Shehab News Agency, May 24,  2025).

The World Food Programme reported that 15 aid trucks were looted in the southern Gaza Strip on their way to bakeries (Washington Post, May 23, 2025). Looting was also reported at warehouses and bakeries in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, the Nuseirat refugee camp and Khan Yunis, with some flour sacks being sold on the markets for thousands of dollars (Telegram channels of al-Sayyad, May 24–26, 2025, and of journalist Ahmad Bakr al-Louh, May 25, 2025). The scenes of looting sparked widespread public outrage and strong emotional reactions on social media, where it was described as a moral and social betrayal of a people suffering together under siege and hunger. Activists called for preserving values of fraternity and solidarity, warning against turning the humanitarian crisis into an opportunity for personal profit at the expense of hungry neighbors (Telegram channel of Field Reports, May 24, 2025).

• Bakeries in southern Gaza which had resumed operations in coordination with the World Food Programme reportedly ceased activity after three days when their limited supply of flour ran out. The bakeries produced bread which was distributed by the WFP through approved distribution points, but due to Israel’s refusal to authorize direct flour distribution to residents, aid organizations were forced to work through local bakeries, creating dependency on unregulated actors and damaging equity (Telegram channel of Field Reports, May 24, 2025). Chairman of the Bakery Owners Association, Abd al-Nasser al-Ajrami, reported that only four of the 25 bakeries which worked with WFP had resumed operations in Deir al-Balah, while Israel prevented bakeries from operating in districts labeled red zones, such as Khan Yunis. Most bakeries in the northern Gaza Strip were destroyed in attacks, and those that remain are inactive because of ongoing fighting and chaos. Of the 140 bakeries which operated previously only about 50 remain, and only half are known to be operative. Al-Ajrami said that without direct flour distribution to civilians there could be no sense of food security and looting and violence near bakeries could not be prevented (Safa, May 24, 2025; Shehab, May 25, 2025).
• The Hamas-controlled ministry of health in the Gaza Strip continued to promote the narrative of hospital paralysis and the collapse of the public health system:
  • Hamas accused Israel of attacking the medicine warehouse at al-Awda Rehabilitation Hospital in northern Gaza, completely incinerating it. Hamas described the attack as a “deliberate move” to destroy the medical system in the Strip, part of Israel’s consistent policy of “killing the Palestinian population.” Hamas claimed that repeated attacks on health institutions, bombing inhabited homes and killing “innocent civilians” constituted serious violations of international law and the Geneva Conventions and reinforced claims of ongoing crimes against humanity (Hamas Telegram channel, May 23, 2025).
  • Dr. Muhammad Zaqout, director general of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, warned the “health disaster” in the Strip would be exacerbated following the shutdown of major hospitals, especially the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. He claimed the hospital had become unfit for use due to deliberate destruction of water and sewage facilities, continued bombings and population displacement from the area, making it impossible to resume operations in the near future (Shehab, May 25, 2025). As a result, heavy pressure has fallen on Nasser Hospital, the only remaining operational government institution in the south, while in the north, all public hospitals, including the Indonesian, Kamal Adwan and Beit Hanoun Hospitals, have ceased operations. Dr. Imad al-Hout, director of the European Hospital in al-Fukhari, reported that since the IDF attacks on May 13, 2025, and the imposed military encirclement, all patients, injured individuals and medical staff were evacuated, and as of May 26, only 11 security guards remain (Palestine Online, May 26, 2025).
• Zaher Birawi, a Hamas operative in Britain who heads the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza and is a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, reported that a new ship named Madleen will sail to the Gaza Strip from the port of Catania in Sicily before the end of May 2025. He said the vessel was small and will carry 12 “activists” from Western countries (al-Quds al-Arabi, May 22, 2025).^[4]

Governance

• Hamas reportedly executed several Gazans after they were accused of organizing the looting of humanitarian aid convoys which entered the Strip on May 22, 2025, and being responsible for the deaths of local security personnel. According to “field sources,” the suspects confessed to their involvement and the executions were carried out “as an emergency measure to protect public security and safeguard the civilian population.” “Resistance” operatives said they would continue to take “harsh action” against anyone disrupting public order or exploiting the Gazans’ economic hardship, would not allow “criminals who deviate from the path of our people” to threaten citizens’ lives or harm their resources (Telegram channel Amsak Amil (Catch the Traitor), May 23, 2025). Eleven Palestinians were reportedly executed in recent days, seven of whom were accused of involvement in the attack on a convoy in Deir al-Balah that led to the deaths of security personnel. Two others allegedly informed on the location of four families, three of which were “eliminated,” and two allegedly collaborated with Israel in an attempt to locate hostages. Nine of the condemned were executed by firing squad and two by hanging. The “resistance” declared that “there is no mercy for traitors” (Telegram channel Amsak Amil, May 24, 2025).
• Hamas is reportedly experiencing its most severe economic, security and organizational crisis since its establishment in 1987, which is not limited to the Gaza Strip but also felt in Judea and Samaria and in Lebanon. According to “sources inside and outside Hamas,” the movement is struggling to pay salaries to its operatives in Gaza and government employees, and members of the military wing have not been paid for three months and are facing great difficulty obtaining funding for terrorist operations. The “sources” said welfare and service budgets allocated to several ministries and government bodies, such as emergency committees, were almost entirely suspended more than four months ago, and ministries providing most services to civilians, such as health and social development, now relied on international organizations to supply fuel and medicine. The “sources” reported that families of Hamas operatives and its military wing, as well as families of prisoners and wounded, had not received regular salaries for over two and a half months, unlike the situation during the earlier months of the war. There were also reports of a serious leadership vacuum in the Gaza Strip administration, as well as in the organizational structure of the movement in certain areas, with senior positions remaining unfilled, although the military wing’s structure is reportedly still functioning (al-Sharq al-Awsat, May 24, 2025).
• In the shadow of the worsening humanitarian and civil situation in the Gaza Strip, calls have increased for the replacement of Hamas rule and for the Palestinian Authority to return as a legitimate and organized governing framework. This past week dozens of public protests were held, in which Gazans demanded that the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas take direct responsibility for managing the Gaza Strip and end Hamas’ rule. Slogans included, “We want orderly rule, not an armed militia!” and “We don’t want Hamas, we want the Authority!” (Telegram channel Nasr Palestine, May 25, 2025).
• “Palestinian sources” reported an escalation in internal clan conflicts in the Gaza Strip, deteriorating into violent clashes amid the general chaos, lawlessness and humanitarian crisis. The existing conflicts, rooted in old rivalries or “honor disputes,” could become cycles of vengeance and continue even after the war ended. In view of the situation, there were calls for sheikhs and family elders to take urgent action to curb the violence, calm tensions and encourage reconciliation to prevent a collapse into a fractured and internally violent society (Telegram channel al-Sayyad, May 27, 2025).

• “Sources” reported that France and Saudi Arabia were formulating a plan to disarm Hamas and senior Saudi officials had been in contact with the Hamas leadership. Reportedly, the current goal is to reshape Hamas into a political body which could play a role in a future Palestinian government. In the assessment of the “sources,” allowing Hamas to retain a certain level of political power would increase the chances of its agreeing to disarm (Bloomberg, May 22, 2025). In response, a “prominent Hamas figure” said there had been no contacts between Hamas leaders and Saudi or French officials regarding disarmament and turning the group into a political entity. He claimed that “resistance is a legitimate right guaranteed by international conventions and laws for those under occupation,” and added that any such effort, or any focus on disarming Gaza without addressing the need to compel Israel to end its “aggression” or pressure it to allow aid entry, only served Netanyahu’s government (al-Araby al-Jadeed, May 24, 2025).

Terrorist attacks

• Stabbing in Hebron: A Palestinian terrorist armed with a knife attempted to stab a female IDF soldier at a checkpoint near Tel Rumeida in Hebron; he was shot and killed by soldiers at the scene. There were no casualties (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, May 24, 2025).:

Counterterrorism operations

• This past week Israeli security forces continued Operation Iron Wall, the counterterrorism operation in northern Samaria, in addition to ongoing operations in other areas of Judea and Samaria. The forces detained dozens of wanted individuals and terrorist operatives, including the head of the squad that carried out the shooting attack near Bruchin in which an Israeli civilian was killed on May 14, 2025, the planner of the attack in Fundik in which three Israelis were killed on January 6, 2025, and an ISIS cell exposed in Qabatiya. Weapons were seized, 27 explosive devices were destroyed and funds used for terrorist activities were confiscated. Israeli security forces also demolished the homes of two terrorists who had carried out attacks (IDF spokesperson, May 20–27, 2025). The Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that Israeli security forces detained at least 19 Palestinians who had been released from Israeli prisons in January–February 2025 as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal (Facebook page of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, May 21–22, 2025).
• Palestinian media reported that Israeli security forces raided branches of the al-Khaleej currency exchange company in several cities in Judea and Samaria, including Jenin, Nablus and Qalqilya, detained several employees, and confiscated money and jewelry. Notices were posted at the branches stating that the operation was carried out because of “ties to terrorist organizations” and Palestinians were urged to stay away from the branches (Quds News Agency, May 27, 2025).

• Israeli security forces detained three Israeli Arabs from Ar’ara, a town in Wadi Ara, northern Israel, including a minor, on suspicion of planning an attack on behalf of ISIS. The investigation revealed that the three had received instructions from ISIS operatives in Syria for preparing explosives and conducted a field test to produce a powerful explosive device they planned to use to target Israeli security forces (Israel Police and Shin Bet spokespersons, May 26, 2025).

Friction between Jews and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria

• On May 22, 2025, dozens of Jewish settlers entered the Palestinian village of Bruqin and set fire to vehicles and homes to avenge the death of an Israeli woman killed in a shooting carried out by a village resident (Israeli media, May 22, 2025). Hamas figure Abd al-Rahman Shadeed called for “resistance”^[5] to “the settler attacks and crimes in the West Bank,” claiming the attacks were carried out with the full guidance and support of the IDF and backed by a “radical Zionist government,” exploiting the weakness of the Arab and Islamic world, which stands idly by in the face of the [alleged] “massacre” of the Palestinian people (Telegram channel of the Islamic Bloc at al-Quds University, May 23, 2025).

Mahmoud Abbas visits Lebanon

• Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas arrived for a three-day visit to Lebanon. He met with government officials and discussed the conditions in Palestinian refugee camps and measures to disarm the armed “factions” as part of the Lebanese leadership’s vision for a state monopoly on weapons:
  • Meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Mahmoud Abbas expressed appreciation for Lebanon’s support of the Palestinian people and the two-state solution and his desire to strengthen bilateral relations. Abbas briefed Aoun on recent developments in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, said the war had to end and called for the full withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip. He reiterated that security and civil authority in Gaza should be in the hands of the Palestinian Authority alone. Abbas and Aoun also agreed to establish a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee to monitor the situation in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and to work to improve their living conditions while respecting Lebanese sovereignty and upholding the laws of the country, including disarming the camps. They also said the Palestinian side promised not to use Lebanese territory as a launching point for any military action and to respect Lebanon’s declared policy of non-intervention in the affairs of other states and avoidance of regional conflicts (Wafa and X account of the Lebanese presidency, May 21, 2025).
  • Meeting separately with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Mahmoud Abbas reviewed developments in the Palestinian arena. They all said the Palestinians living in Lebanon were committed to the decisions of the Lebanese leadership until they “return to Palestine, their homeland [sic].” They also agreed to establish a joint committee to oversee the implementation of the understandings, facilitate cooperation in handling legal and social issues of Palestinian refugees and help improve their conditions without negatively affecting Lebanon’s sovereignty (Wafa, May 22, 2025).

     
Right: Meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and the President of Lebanon (Wafa, May 21, 2025). Left: Mahmoud Abbas receiving the 2025 Peacemakers Award from the Hani Fakhit Academy for Dialogue and Peace in Lebanon (Wafa, May 22, 2025)

• • Meeting with representatives of Palestinian “factions” in Beirut and with a delegation from Fatah’s regional committee in Lebanon, Mahmoud Abbas reiterated the importance of national unity based on commitment to the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. He also noted the importance of the international peace conference to be held in New York in June 2025, for implementing the two-state solution and securing broad recognition of the [so-called] “State of Palestine” (Wafa, May 21–23, 2025).
  • Meeting with Dorothée Klaus, director of UNRWA affairs in Lebanon, Mahmoud Abbas reviewed recent developments in the Palestinian territories. He related to the importance of continuing UNRWA’s operations and services to refugees and voiced opposition to Israeli attempts to “undermine the agency.” He also called for an immediate ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and an end to Israeli security operations in Judea and Samaria (Wafa, May 21, 2025).

Diplomatic activity

• Mahmoud Abbas met with European Council President António Costa and briefed him on the latest developments in the Palestinian arena. Mahmoud Abbas discussed the urgent need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the unrestricted entry of aid. He added that the priorities were support for the Palestinian government’s efforts to assume civil and security responsibility in the Gaza Strip and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. He also reiterated the importance of efforts to lay the groundwork for the international peace conference scheduled for June 2025 for support for a Palestinian state and its efforts to gain full UN membership (Wafa, May 26, 2025).
• Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa participated in the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee meeting in Madrid, where he met with the foreign ministers of Spain, Norway and Portugal, and with the British Minister for the Middle East and North Africa. They discussed recent developments in the Palestinian arena, including the “hunger” in the Gaza Strip and the damage to medical institutions and civilians. He said there was a need for an immediate ceasefire and international intervention, support for UNRWA and a reconstruction program in the Gaza Strip, and called for recognition of the “State of Palestine” at the peace conference to be held in New York in June 2025. In his speech to the committee, Mustafa reiterated accusations that Israel [allegedly] used the hunger it “created” in Gaza to kill Palestinians and that Israel was committing “war crimes.” He added that in Judea and Samaria there was “settler terrorism, home demolitions and dispossession,” similar to what was happening in the Gaza Strip (Wafa, May 25, 2025).
• Hussein al-Sheikh, PA deputy chairman, met in Ramallah with Vladimir Safronkov, the Russian envoy to the Middle East peace process. They reportedly discussed recent regional developments, primarily the humanitarian and political situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as international efforts to end the war. They also noted the importance of joint action to stop the fighting and to create conditions for renewing the political track based on international resolutions. Safronkov expressed the Russian leadership’s support for the Palestinian people and their leadership, and emphasized the deep historical ties between Russia and “Palestine” and Moscow’s commitment to continued political and diplomatic support in the international arena (Wafa, May 25, 2025).

The PA security forces

• Anwar Rajab, the official spokesperson for the PA security forces, announced that the security forces, in coordination with the police engineering unit, had raided a workshop for manufacturing explosive devices in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin. He said the workshop belonged to a group of “criminals.” He said the security force operation had been based on intelligence information and resulted in the seizure of the workshop’s contents, which included oxygen canisters ready for detonation, explosive devices in assembly stages, small tubes with explosives, an operational mortar, security cameras, four motorcycle batteries used to activate explosive devices, and a large quantity of explosives, wires, controllers, phones and other equipment (Wafa, May 21, 2025).