Deir Yassin

War Crime (1907 Hague); Crimes Against Humanity (modern)

Deir Yassin (Dayr Yasin), Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine

Givat Shaul neighborhood, West Jerusalem, Israel, Village demolished; site integrated into Israeli neighborhoods

Irgun (Etzel)
Lehi (Stern Gang)
Haganah/Palmach (support)

Summary: The Deir Yassin massacre occurred during intense fighting around Jerusalem in early April 1948 (Operation Nachshon context). The village had previously concluded a local non-aggression understanding with nearby Jewish communities; nonetheless, Irgun and Lehi launched a multi-axis assault at dawn. Haganah/Palmach elements later provided support. Killings of civilians—including women, children and elderly—were documented by Israeli and international witnesses; surviving captives were paraded in Jerusalem and later released. Death estimates vary; most research centers near ≈107, with higher claims (≈200–250) appearing in contemporary accounts. The entire village population (≈710 in 1948) was displaced; Deir Yassin's lands were later absorbed into West Jerusalem neighborhoods. No perpetrators were prosecuted; Irgun commander Menachem Begin later became Prime Minister (1977–1983).

Mass Killings of Civilians
Summary Executions
Sexual Violence & Desecration
Looting & Destruction
Forced Displacement & Humiliation

Morris, Benny. 'The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited' (2004)

'A Jerusalem Un Drapeau Flottait Sur La Ligne De Feu' (1950)

Interview with Yediot Aharonot, April 4, 1972

British Palestine Police Report, April 13, 1948 - UK National Archives CO 537/3869

Secret report to British High Commissioner, April 13, 1948 - UK National Archives CO 537/3869


Tantura

1948 Arab-Israeli War, coastal operations

Tantura (Al-Tantura), British Mandate of Palestine, Haifa District

Dor Beach area, Haifa District, Israel; Kibbutz Nahsholim built on village ruins; Dor Beach parking lot over mass grave; Village demolished; mass graves undisturbed

Unknown (most male captives were killed)

Summary: On May 22-23, 1948, the Alexandroni Brigade of the Haganah (which became the IDF) attacked the Palestinian coastal village of Tantura. The village had a population of approximately 1,500 and was known for its fishing industry. Despite attempts at surrender and raising white flags, Israeli forces conducted house-to-house searches, separated men from women and children, and executed male villagers. An estimated 200-250 Palestinian men were systematically executed after the village surrendered. Bodies were buried in multiple mass graves, including one beneath what is now the parking lot of Dor Beach. The massacre remained largely unknown until 1998 when Israeli graduate student Teddy Katz documented it through interviews with both Palestinian survivors and Israeli soldiers who participated. Despite initial confirmation by veterans, Katz faced a libel lawsuit and was forced under pressure to sign an 'apology' (later withdrawn). Israeli authorities have consistently refused to excavate the mass graves or conduct official investigations. No perpetrators were prosecuted. The village was demolished and Kibbutz Nahsholim was built on its ruins.

Mass Execution of Prisoners of War
Execution After Surrender
Executions on the Beach
Mass Graves and Concealment of Evidence
Separation of Families
Looting and Complete Destruction
Forced Expulsion

Katz, Teddy. MA Thesis (1998) - Based on 140+ interviews

Katz, Teddy. MA Thesis (1998) - Based on IDF archives and veteran interviews

Schwarz, Alon. 'Tantura' documentary (2022) - On-camera testimony

Katz, Teddy. MA Thesis (1998) - Interview testimony

Katz, Teddy. Research archive - 140+ interviews (1998)

Haaretz. 'The Tantura Massacre and the Man Who Revealed It' (2022)

Survivor testimony documented by Teddy Katz (1998)

Interview in 'Tantura' documentary (2022)

Testimony recorded by Teddy Katz, later confirmed in court documents

Oral history interview, Institute for Palestine Studies

Katz research; Israeli soldier testimonies

Israeli soldier testimony (Katz interviews)

Israeli soldier testimonies (Katz research; 2022 documentary)

Survivor testimonies; Zochrot documentation


Lydda and Ramle

War Crime; Crimes Against Humanity; Ethnic Cleansing (Nakba)

Lydda (Al-Lydd) and Ramle (Al-Ramla), British Mandate of Palestine (under Israeli occupation from July 11-12, 1948)

Lod and Ramla, Central District, Israel; Cities renamed and repopulated; small Palestinian minority remains

IDF Yiftach Brigade (11th Brigade)
IDF 8th Armored Brigade
Operation Dani command structure

Summary: On July 9–13, 1948, during Operation Dani under the command of Yigal Allon (with Yitzhak Rabin as deputy), Israeli forces captured Lydda and Ramle. In Lydda, city-wide shootings killed hundreds of civilians; the Dahmash Mosque massacre alone claimed 70–250+ lives (estimates vary). Moshe Dayan's 89th Battalion participated in ground operations. Immediately after the takeover, expulsion orders were executed: the entire Palestinian populations of both towns—approximately 50,000–70,000 people, including refugees—were forced to march on foot toward Ramallah in extreme July heat. This 'death march' saw numerous deaths from thirst, heat exhaustion, and deprivation; survivors reported infants dying, people chewing grass for moisture, and soldiers preventing access to water. Total deaths are estimated at 400–1,000 (including in-city killings and march fatalities). No perpetrators were prosecuted. Allon became Deputy Prime Minister; Rabin became Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1994); Dayan became Defense Minister and Foreign Minister. Rabin's memoir passages describing the expulsion order were censored in 1979, later restored.

City-Wide Shootings
Dahmash Mosque Massacre
Forced Expulsion & 'Death March'
Deaths of Infants & Elderly on March
Denial of Water & Aid
Looting & Property Seizure

Morris, Benny. 'Operation Dani and the Palestinian Exodus from Lydda and Ramle in 1948'

Morris, Benny. 'The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited' (2004)

'The Fall of Lydda' memoir (archived PDF)

Memoir/testimony reproduced by IPS/PalQuest

The Rabin Memoirs (1979/later editions); cited in Morris 2004


Qibya

War Crime; Crimes Against Humanity (UNSC Res 101)

Qibya, West Bank, Palestinian Territories; Village rebuilt; under Israeli occupation since 1967

IDF Unit 101 (Commander: Ariel Sharon)
Paratroop companies
Supporting Israeli regular army units

Summary: The Qibya massacre occurred during heightened tensions along the Jordan-Israel armistice line. Following the October 12, 1953 killing of an Israeli woman and her two children in Yehud, Israel launched 'Operation Shoshana'—a large-scale reprisal attack on the Jordanian village of Qibya. Unit 101, led by 25-year-old Major Ariel Sharon, attacked with approximately half a battalion of soldiers. After a mortar barrage, demolition squads systematically destroyed homes with inhabitants inside using explosives and grenades. Sharon later wrote the operation was meant to be 'an example for everyone' with orders for 'maximal killing and damage to property.' The UN Mixed Armistice Commission condemned the attack as a breach of the Israel-Jordan armistice agreement. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 101 expressing 'strongest censure.' The US State Department called it 'shocking' and suspended economic aid to Israel. Despite international condemnation, no perpetrators were prosecuted.

Deliberate Civilian Infrastructure Destruction

UN Security Council Report S/3113 (1953)

Sharon, Ariel. 'Warrior: An Autobiography' (1989)

Knesset speech, October 1953; Sharett Diary

Report to UN Security Council, October 1953

Statement to UN Security Council, November 1953


Khan Yunis Massacre

During Israeli occupation of Gaza in Suez Crisis

War Crime; Crimes Against Humanity (UNRWA/UN GA Doc A/3512)

Khan Yunis (Khān Yūnis), Egyptian-administered Gaza Strip

Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, Palestine; Major city; heavily damaged in 2023-2024 conflict

Unknown number; not systematically documented

Temporary displacement during operations

Israel Defense Forces
IDF Intelligence units
Shin Bet security forces

Summary: In October-November 1956, Israel launched Operation Kadesh in coordination with France and the UK's invasion of Egypt during the Suez Crisis. Israeli forces rapidly occupied the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula. During the occupation of Gaza, IDF conducted systematic 'screening' operations ostensibly to identify Egyptian soldiers and Palestinian fighters (fedayeen) who had infiltrated Israel. On November 3, 1956, in Khan Yunis and its refugee camp, Israeli forces conducted mass roundups of male residents. During screenings, curfews, and arbitrary detentions, IDF personnel systematically executed civilians. UNRWA Director for Gaza Affairs compiled detailed victim lists and reported to UN General Assembly that 275 men were killed in Khan Yunis and 111 in nearby Rafah. Palestinian sources documented 415 killed with 57 missing. Methods included shooting during curfew, execution after screening, and arbitrary killings. Bodies were buried in mass graves, including in the streets of Khan Yunis. UNRWA provided names, ages, and circumstances of death for verified victims. Despite international documentation and UN reports, no Israeli personnel were prosecuted. Israel withdrew from Gaza in March 1957 under international pressure, particularly from the United States and Soviet Union.

Systematic Screenings and Executions
Curfew Killings
Mass Graves
Arbitrary Detentions and Killings
Collective Punishment

UNRWA Special Report to UN General Assembly (A/3512)

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics

UNRWA Special Report, UN GAOR 11th Session, Annexes, Agenda Item 66, Document A/3512

Israel's Border Wars 1949-1956' (Oxford University Press, 1993)

The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World' (W.W. Norton, 2000)

Palestinian oral histories; documented by PCBS

UNRWA Director Report, December 15, 1956

UN General Assembly Official Records - 11th Session


Six-Day War / Al-Naksa

Six-Day War (Israel vs Egypt, Jordan, Syria)

War Crimes; Violations of IHL; Unlawful Occupation (UNSC Res 242)

West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, Jordanian West Bank, Egyptian Gaza, Syrian Golan, Egyptian Sinai

Occupied Palestinian Territories; Annexed Golan Heights, West Bank and Gaza under Israeli occupation since 1967; East Jerusalem annexed; Golan annexed 1981; Ongoing military occupation; UN recognizes territories as occupied

10,000-15,000 combatants total (all sides); civilian deaths not systematically recorded

Military administration of occupied territories

Summary: The Six-Day War erupted on June 5, 1967 when Israel launched preemptive strikes on Egyptian airfields, followed by ground operations. Within six days, Israel occupied the Egyptian-controlled Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula, Jordanian-controlled West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Syrian Golan Heights. The rapid Israeli victory fundamentally transformed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by bringing all of historic Palestine under Israeli control. Mass displacement began immediately. As Israeli forces advanced into the West Bank, panic spread among Palestinians remembering the 1948 Nakba. Estimates of those who fled or were expelled range from 280,000 (Israeli sources) to 400,000+ (Palestinian and UN sources). Approximately 175,000 were refugees from 1948 being displaced a second time. The displacement was not solely a byproduct of combat—Israeli authorities issued military orders preventing return and systematically demolished entire villages. Three villages in the Latrun area (Imwas, Yalo, and Beit Nuba) were completely destroyed by Israeli forces, their 10,000 residents expelled. In Jerusalem's Old City, the Moroccan Quarter was bulldozed days after occupation to create a plaza at the Western Wall. UN Security Council Resolution 242 called for 'withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied' and for 'achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem,' but Israel has maintained occupation for over 55 years. The 1967 displacement and subsequent occupation created the framework for the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Systematic Village Destruction
Moroccan Quarter Demolition
Prevention of Return
Illegal Annexation
Mass Displacement
Extrajudicial Killings

Zochrot - Destroyed Villages Documentation

Various interviews and memoirs; Haaretz 1969

Haaretz, June 1967; later compiled in 'The Israelis' (1971)

Oral history - Palestinian refugee documentation

1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East' (2007)

Report to UN Security Council, September 1967

Tom Segev - '1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East'

B'Tselem - Israeli Occupation Documentation


Sabra and Shatila

During Israeli occupation of West Beirut, Lebanon War

War Crime; Crimes Against Humanity; Genocide (UNSC Res 521; Kahan Commission)

Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, Beirut, Lebanon (under Israeli military control)

Sabra and Shatila, Beirut, Lebanon; Camps still exist; memorial sites established

Survivors fled camps; infrastructure destroyed

Israeli Defense Forces (facilitation and responsibility)

Defense Minister Ariel Sharon (personal responsibility per Kahan Commission)

Summary: The Sabra and Shatila massacre occurred during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon ('Operation Peace for Galilee'). After the assassination of Lebanese President-elect Bachir Gemayel on September 14, 1982, Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon ordered IDF forces to occupy West Beirut, ostensibly to maintain order. On September 16, Sharon authorized Lebanese Phalangist militias to enter the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps, claiming they would 'mop up' remaining PLO fighters—though PLO forces had evacuated weeks earlier under international agreement. For approximately 40 hours (September 16-18), Phalangist militiamen systematically killed Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and elderly persons. Israeli forces surrounded the camps, controlled all entry and exit points, provided logistical support, and fired illumination flares throughout the nights allowing the killings to continue after dark. Israeli commanders received reports of civilian massacres but did not intervene. Methods included shooting, stabbing, decapitation, mutilation. Bodies were dumped in mass graves or left in streets. The exact death toll remains disputed. Lebanon's official investigation documented approximately 800 killed; the Palestinian Red Crescent estimated 3,500; various international sources cite 2,000-3,500. The Israeli Kahan Commission investigated and found Defense Minister Sharon bore 'personal responsibility' for the massacre, recommending his removal. Sharon resigned as Defense Minister but remained in cabinet without portfolio, later serving as Israeli Prime Minister (2001-2006). Multiple international legal attempts to prosecute him failed.

Systematic Massacre of Civilians
Torture and Mutilation
Sexual Violence
Mass Graves and Body Disposal
Israeli Facilitation
Killing of Children and Infants

Lebanese Government Commission Report (1982-83)

Palestinian Red Crescent Society Reports 1982

Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War' (1990); The Independent September 18-19, 1982

Commission of Inquiry into Events at Refugee Camps in Beirut - Final Report, February 8, 1983

Testimony to human rights organizations; documented in UN reports

Warrior: An Autobiography' (1989); Official statements to Kahan Commission

Collected by Lebanese government commission, human rights organizations, Palestinian Red Crescent

Kahan Commission testimony; later interviews with Breaking the Silence

Robert Fisk - The Independent, September 18-19, 1982

Kahan Commission - Israeli Responsibility


First Intifada

Palestinian uprising against 20-year Israeli occupation

West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories since 1967

Occupied Palestinian Territories, West Bank under Israeli military occupation; Gaza under blockade since 2007, Continued occupation; First Intifada led to Oslo Accords and creation of Palestinian Authority

1,087-1,284 Palestinians; 160-200 Israelis

120,000+ Palestinians injured; 3,100 Israeli soldiers/civilians injured

Thousands displaced through home demolitions

Israel Defense Forces
Israeli Border Police
Israeli Civil Administration
Shin Bet (Israeli Security Service)
Israeli settler violence

Summary: On December 8, 1987, an Israeli army truck collided with civilian vehicles at the Erez checkpoint in Gaza, killing four Palestinian workers from Jabalia refugee camp. Palestinians believed it was deliberate revenge for the stabbing death of an Israeli in Gaza two days earlier. The following day, December 9, massive protests erupted in Jabalia. When 17-year-old Hatem al-Sisi was shot dead by Israeli soldiers, the uprising exploded across Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank within days. What began as spontaneous protests transformed into organized, sustained civil resistance coordinated by grassroots committees and later by the United National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU). The Intifada was characterized by largely non-violent tactics: general strikes, tax resistance, boycotts of Israeli products, and civil disobedience. Palestinian youth confronted Israeli soldiers with stones and Molotov cocktails. The Israeli response was brutal. Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin issued orders to use 'force, might, and beatings' and to 'break bones' of demonstrators. Soldiers systematically beat protesters, fired live ammunition at stone-throwers, and used tear gas extensively. In the first year alone, Israeli forces killed at least 300 Palestinians and wounded tens of thousands. By 1990, the death toll exceeded 1,000. The uprising exacted an enormous toll: 1,087-1,284 Palestinians killed (including 241-332 children), over 120,000 wounded, approximately 20,000 arrested in the first year alone (with estimates reaching 120,000 total over six years), 2,532 homes demolished, and 481 Palestinians deported. Approximately 160-200 Israelis (soldiers and civilians) were killed during the same period. International condemnation was swift—the UN Security Council condemned Israel's response, and even the Reagan Administration criticized the 'harsh security measures and excessive use of live ammunition.' The Intifada forced recognition of Palestinian national aspirations, led to the Madrid Conference (1991) and secret Oslo negotiations, culminating in the September 1993 Oslo Accords which created the Palestinian Authority and promised future statehood—though these promises remain unfulfilled over 30 years later.

Systematic Beatings and Bone-Breaking Policy

B'Tselem - First Intifada Fatalities; Al Jazeera - Intifada Documentation

Palestine Remix - Intifada Stories; PBS - Women, War and Peace

UN Security Council Resolutions 607 & 608

Contemporary interviews and military records; documented by Israeli media

Palestinian Declaration of Independence (1988); interviews

UN Security Council Resolutions 607, 608; UN Human Rights reports

Amnesty International reports (1988-1993)

B'Tselem statistical reports and documentation

Palestine Remix - Al Jazeera oral histories

Al Jazeera - First Intifada History; Britannica - Intifada

War Wings Daily - First Intifada Analysis

Al Jazeera - Intifada History; Britannica - Intifada


Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre

Ramadan 1994, following Oslo Accords (September 1993)

War Crime; Crimes Against Humanity; State Responsibility (UNSC Res 904)

Al-Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs), Hebron, West Bank, Israeli-occupied West Bank; Hebron under Israeli military control (H2 area)

Hebron Old City, West Bank, H2 area under full Israeli military control since 1997 Hebron Protocol; Ibrahimi Mosque divided 60% for Jews, 40% for Muslims since massacre; Old City strangled by checkpoints, closures, settler violence

50-60 Palestinians total (29 in mosque shooting + 25+ killed by Israeli forces during protests)

125+ in mosque; hundreds more during protests

Mass exodus from Hebron Old City due to closures and restrictions

Israeli military (facilitation through absence/inaction)

Israeli government (collective punishment of victims after massacre)

Summary: Baruch Goldstein was born Benjamin Carl Goldstein in Brooklyn, New York in 1956 to an Orthodox Jewish family. In the 1970s, he became a charter member of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), a militant organization founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane. After graduating from Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Goldstein emigrated to Israel in 1983. He served as a physician in the Israel Defense Forces and later settled in Kiryat Arba, an extremist settlement adjacent to Hebron. Goldstein was an active member of Kach, Kahane's ultranationalist party, and was third on its list for the 1984 Knesset elections. Israeli press reported that Goldstein refused to treat Arabs, even Arab soldiers serving in the IDF, believing it violated Jewish religious law to treat non-Jews. He compared Israel's democracy to Nazism and wore a yellow star marked 'JUDE' in protest. In the weeks before the massacre, Goldstein made ominous statements and was involved in violent incidents at the mosque, including pouring acid on carpets. Palestinian authorities wrote to Prime Minister Rabin warning about Goldstein's dangerous behavior, but no action was taken. On the morning of February 25, 1994, the 15th day of Ramadan, worshippers noticed the unusual absence of Israeli soldiers from their normal positions around the Ibrahimi Mosque despite tensions the previous evening. At approximately 5:30 AM, as Imam Khalil Muhsen Jabari led hundreds in Fajr (dawn) prayer, Goldstein entered the Isaac Hall—the main prayer area—dressed in his IDF reserve uniform and carrying a Galil assault rifle and pistol. He positioned himself behind a pillar at the rear of the hall. When worshippers prostrated (sujood position), Goldstein opened fire. He reloaded multiple times, methodically shooting prostrate worshippers who were trapped and defenseless. Survivors report the shooting continued for ten minutes. Some eyewitnesses claim they saw additional gunmen, though Israeli investigations denied this. When worshippers finally overcame Goldstein, they beat him to death. By then, 29 Palestinians lay dead—including children as young as 11—and 125 were wounded. The horror did not end with the shooting. Israeli soldiers present at the mosque closed the gates, trapping survivors inside with the dead and wounded, and preventing medical help from entering. When the gates finally opened, Israeli forces fired on protesters outside, killing more Palestinians. Over the next three weeks, as news of the massacre spread, Palestinians rioted throughout Hebron and the West Bank. Israeli forces killed at least 25 more Palestinians during these protests, including at victims' funerals. The total death toll reached 50-60. Israel's response was to punish the victims: a six-month closure of Hebron; formation of the one-sided Shamgar Commission whose recommendations all favored settlers; partition of the Ibrahimi Mosque giving 60% to Jews (who comprised 0.003% of Hebron's population); closure of 520 businesses and 1,800 shops in the Old City; sealing of Shuhada Street (the main commercial artery); and a network of military checkpoints suffocating Palestinian life. The massacre achieved Goldstein's goal: it did not stop Oslo, but it transformed Hebron into a strangled city, its Old City a ghost town, its Palestinian population subjected to daily humiliation while a few hundred extremist settlers lived under heavy military protection.

Israeli Military Facilitation and Complicity

Economic Strangulation of Palestinian Community

Shamgar Commission testimony (leaked excerpts)


Second Intifada

Collapse of Camp David peace talks; Ariel Sharon's provocative Temple Mount visit

War Crimes; Violations of IHL (UN Special Rapporteur; HRW; Amnesty)

West Bank, Gaza Strip, Israel, Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and Israel proper

Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel, West Bank under Israeli military occupation with PA limited control; Gaza under blockade; Second Intifada led to Israeli disengagement from Gaza (2005), construction of separation barrier, and collapse of peace process

Thousands displaced through home demolitions and military operations

Palestinian armed groups (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, PFLP)

Summary: The Second Intifada's immediate trigger was Ariel Sharon's September 28, 2000 visit to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, accompanied by 1,000 Israeli police. Palestinians viewed this as deliberate provocation at one of Islam's holiest sites by a figure they associated with past massacres (Sabra and Shatila 1982, Qibya 1953). Protests erupted immediately. The next day, September 29 (a Friday), after prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli police fired on Palestinian demonstrators, killing 7 and wounding over 300. By October 1, violence had spread throughout the occupied territories and into Israel. Thirteen Palestinian citizens of Israel were shot dead by Israeli police during protests inside Israel proper. Within two weeks, 100 Palestinians and 10 Israelis had been killed. The uprising's deeper causes lay in the failure of the Oslo peace process: seven years after Oslo, Palestinians remained under occupation, settlements had doubled, movement restrictions had increased, and statehood seemed further away than ever. Unlike the First Intifada's stones and civil disobedience, the Second Intifada quickly became armed conflict. Palestinian militant groups—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (affiliated with Fatah), and PFLP—launched devastating suicide bombing campaigns targeting Israeli civilians in buses, restaurants, markets, and nightclubs. The peak came in March 2002 with the Passover massacre at Park Hotel in Netanya (30 killed), triggering Israel's massive Operation Defensive Shield. Israel responded with overwhelming military force: helicopter gunships, F-16 fighter jets, tanks, and bulldozers deployed in densely populated Palestinian areas. Targeted assassinations by helicopter missile strikes often killed bystanders. Entire cities were placed under curfew for months. The 2002 siege of Jenin refugee camp became emblematic: Israeli forces demolished 140+ buildings, killed 52 Palestinians (23 civilians), and faced international accusations of war crimes. By the Second Intifada's end in late 2005, the toll was catastrophic: 3,223-4,789 Palestinians killed (including 700+ children, 47% civilians); 1,024-1,100 Israelis killed (including 300+ children, 64% civilians); 45,000+ Palestinians wounded; 7,500+ Israelis wounded; approximately 40,000-50,000 Palestinians imprisoned; and massive infrastructure destruction. Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in August 2005 while accelerating settlement expansion in the West Bank. The separation barrier was constructed—declared illegal by the International Court of Justice—confiscating thousands of acres of Palestinian land. The Second Intifada destroyed what remained of the peace process, entrenched the occupation, empowered Hamas, and created the siege of Gaza. It established patterns that continue today: Palestinian resistance met with disproportionate Israeli force; suicide bombings used to justify collective punishment; negotiated peace deemed impossible. The human cost was immense on both sides, but the political outcome was clear: Israeli control deepened while Palestinian freedom receded further.

Palestinian Suicide Bombings (War Crimes)

Targeted Assassinations and Disproportionate Force

Excessive Destruction in Jenin Refugee Camp

Separation Barrier (Illegal Under International Law)

Human Rights Watch - Jenin Report (2002)

Human Rights Watch - Jenin: IDF Military Operations (May 2002)


Battle of Jenin

Part of Operation Defensive Shield; response to Passover massacre (27 March 2002)

War Crimes (HRW prima facie); Violations of IHL

Jenin Refugee Camp, Jenin, West Bank, Palestinian Authority Area A (full Palestinian control until reoccupation)

Jenin Refugee Camp, West Bank, Under Israeli military occupation; PA has limited security control; Camp rebuilt but remains flashpoint; frequent Israeli military raids; site of ongoing violence

52 Palestinians (22 civilians, 27 combatants, 3 unclear); 23 Israeli soldiers

Hundreds of Palestinians wounded; unknown number of Israeli soldiers wounded

Israeli government (Operation Defensive Shield policy)

Specific IDF units involved in demolitions and civilian killings

Summary: Jenin refugee camp was established in 1953 to house Palestinians displaced during the 1948 Nakba, primarily from Haifa and surrounding villages. By 2002, approximately 14,000 refugees lived in the densely packed camp covering just one square kilometer. Under the Oslo Accords, Jenin came under full Palestinian Authority control in 1995 (Area A). However, the camp became a stronghold for Palestinian militant groups during the Second Intifada. According to both Israeli and Palestinian sources, an estimated 80-100 armed fighters from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and Tanzim operated from the camp. Israel claimed 28 suicide attacks between October 2000 and April 2002 were planned and launched from Jenin. After the devastating Passover massacre at Park Hotel in Netanya killed 30 Israeli civilians on March 27, 2002, the Israeli government launched Operation Defensive Shield—the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967. Jenin refugee camp was identified as a primary target. On April 3, 2002, approximately 200 Israeli tanks surrounded Jenin refugee camp. Apache helicopters and F-16 fighter jets provided air support. The IDF's stated objective was to 'destroy the operational infrastructure of militant organizations' and capture or kill those responsible for suicide bombings. Palestinian militants had anticipated the assault and extensively prepared the camp's defense: they planted dozens of explosive charges in water pipes, kitchen cabinets, doorways, and streets; created booby traps throughout the camp; fortified positions in buildings; and prepared ambush sites. The IDF began house-to-house searches, advancing slowly through narrow alleys. On April 9, the sixth day of the operation, 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in a devastating ambush—Palestinian fighters lured an IDF unit into a narrow alley and detonated massive explosives, collapsing buildings on the soldiers. This was the deadliest single incident for the IDF during the entire Second Intifada. Following this catastrophic loss, Israeli military tactics changed dramatically. After the April 9 ambush, the IDF deployed massive American-made Caterpillar D-9 armored bulldozers—60-ton machines with armor plating that could demolish multi-story buildings in minutes. Rather than continuing dangerous house-to-house combat, bulldozers began systematically demolishing buildings to create wide paths for tanks and to eliminate potential ambush sites. Human Rights Watch investigators documented that bulldozers demolished over 140 buildings, destroying approximately 10% of the entire camp's structures. Many buildings were demolished with families still trapped inside—some residents were crushed to death, others buried alive in rubble. The IDF enforced total siege: no one allowed in or out; medical access blocked for 11 days (April 4-15); ambulances fired upon; water and electricity cut off; food prevented from entering. Farwa Jammal, a 27-year-old uniformed nurse, was shot dead by IDF fire while treating a wounded civilian. At least two injured civilians died because Israeli soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching them for over 36 hours. When Human Rights Watch investigators finally gained access on April 19, they found scenes of massive destruction: entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble, bodies still buried under collapsed buildings, and evidence of willful killings. Their 52-page report concluded: 'Israeli forces committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, some amounting prima facie to war crimes.' The UN attempted to launch an investigation, but Israel blocked the fact-finding mission. Final toll: 52 Palestinians killed (22 civilians—including a 14-year-old boy, wheelchair-bound elderly man, and women), 23 Israeli soldiers killed, over 140 buildings demolished, 4,000 people rendered homeless.

Mass Demolitions with People Inside (War Crime)

Attacks on Medical Personnel and Denial of Medical Care

Use of Palestinian Civilians as Human Shields

Indiscriminate and Disproportionate Use of Force

Palestinian Violations: Booby Traps Endangering Civilians

Human Rights Watch - Jenin Report (May 2002)

Human Rights Watch investigation; direct testimony

Human Rights Watch documentation; Middle East Monitor

Human Rights Watch - Jenin: IDF Military Operations (May 2, 2002)

UN Secretary-General statement on blocked investigation

Amnesty International - Israel and the Occupied Territories: Shielded from Scrutiny


Operation Cast Lead

22-day Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip

War Crimes; Crimes Against Humanity (UN Goldstone Report)

Gaza Strip, Gaza, Hamas-governed Gaza Strip under Israeli blockade since 2007

Gaza Strip, Under Israeli blockade and occupation; governed by Hamas, Ongoing blockade since 2007; reconstruction incomplete

1,383-1,419 Palestinians; 13 Israelis (10 soldiers, 3 civilians)

Israel Defense Forces
Israeli Air Force
Ground forces and naval units

Summary: Operation Cast Lead began at 11:30 AM on December 27, 2008, when Israeli F-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters simultaneously struck over 100 pre-planned targets across Gaza within 220 seconds. The opening attacks hit police stations—including during a graduation ceremony for new officers, killing 99 police personnel—government buildings, and Hamas infrastructure. By the end of the first day, at least 230 Palestinians were killed. The aerial bombardment continued for seven days before Israeli ground forces invaded Gaza from the north and east on January 3, 2009. The navy simultaneously shelled from offshore. Over 22 days, Israeli forces conducted what the UN investigation described as a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate and terrorize a civilian population. The operation involved widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure including hospitals, schools, mosques, United Nations facilities, water installations, and sewage treatment plants. Multiple incidents documented by the UN mission and human rights organizations revealed patterns of violations: the Samouni family massacre where soldiers forced approximately 100 civilians into a building then shelled it killing 21; the Al-Daya family airstrike killing 22 civilians; several cases where soldiers shot civilians carrying white flags; and extensive use of white phosphorus munitions in densely populated areas. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights documented 1,419 Palestinian deaths including 1,167 civilians, while B'Tselem reported 1,385 killed including 762 noncombatants and 318 minors.

Samouni Family Massacre
Al-Daya Family Airstrike
White Flag Killings
White Phosphorus in Populated Areas
Attacks on Medical and UN Facilities
Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure
Deliberately Disproportionate Force
Palestinian Rocket Attacks (War Crime)

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; B'Tselem; UN OCHA

UN OCHA & Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Private Sector Coordination Council Assessment

UN Goldstone Report Press Conference, 15 September 2009

UN Goldstone Report testimony, June 2009

Amnesty International interviews, January 2009

UN Human Rights Council statement, March 2009

Breaking the Silence testimonies, July 2009

Amnesty Report 'Operation Cast Lead: 22 days of death and destruction', July 2009


Operation Pillar of Defense

Escalation following targeted killing of Hamas military commander

Military Operation, Airstrikes, Civilian Casualties

War Crimes; Violations of IHL (B'Tselem May 2013 Report)

Gaza Strip, Palestinian territory under Israeli blockade since 2007, governed by Hamas

Gaza Strip; Palestinian territory, Israeli-occupied since 1967, Hamas-governed since 2007; Under blockade; subject to recurring Israeli military operations

Not documented; blockade reinforced post-operation

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Israeli Air Force (IAF)
Israeli Navy

Summary: On November 14, 2012, at approximately 15:45, the Israeli Air Force assassinated Ahmed al-Jabari, head of Hamas's military wing, marking the start of Operation Pillar of Defense. Over eight days, the IDF struck approximately 1,500 targets across Gaza—including underground rocket launchers, arms-smuggling tunnels, weapons storage facilities, and residences of Hamas officials. Unlike Operation Cast Lead (2008-09), no ground incursion occurred. According to B'Tselem's field investigations published May 2013, the operation killed 167 Palestinians: at least 87 civilians who did not participate in hostilities (52%), including 32 children; 62 combatants; 7 targets of assassinations; and 11 of unknown status. The UN Protection Cluster documented over 11,100 injuries, including 3,374 children. Analysis reveals 80% of civilian deaths occurred in the final four days, when the ratio of civilian to combatant deaths reversed sharply. Six Israelis died from Palestinian rocket fire: four civilians and two security personnel. Palestinian groups fired 1,667 rockets toward Israel (ISA figures); 436 were intercepted by Iron Dome. Hamas also executed at least 6-7 Palestinians accused of collaboration during the operation. B'Tselem investigated nine specific incidents raising 'grave suspicions' of IHL violations, including attacks killing children working in fields, families in homes without warnings, and civilians during Arab foreign ministers' visit. The IDF Spokesperson initially admitted 'probable error' in strike killing 12 members of al-Dalu family, but MAG Corps later closed case without prosecution.

UN OCHA Humanitarian Monitor (October-November 2012)

OCHA, Key Figures on 2014 Hostilities (citing Israeli sources)

UN OCHA Humanitarian Monitor (Oct-Nov 2012)

B'Tselem Report: 'Human Rights Violations during Operation Pillar of Defense' (May 2013), p. 3

B'Tselem Report (May 2013), pp. 12-27 (case investigations)

B'Tselem Report (May 2013), pp. 4-5, 35-39

Amnesty International, Statement to UN HRC (February 2013); B'Tselem Report (May 2013), pp. 35-39

B'Tselem. 'Human Rights Violations during Operation Pillar of Defense, 14-21 November 2012' (May 2013)

UN OCHA. 'Humanitarian Monitor: October-November 2012'

UN OCHA. 'Key Figures on 2014 Hostilities' (includes 2012 comparison data)

Amnesty International. 'Statement to UN Human Rights Council' (February 2013)

Haaretz. 'As IDF Strike Kills Entire Family in Gaza, Israel Is Starting to Get Into Trouble' (November 18, 2012)

Israel Security Agency (ISA/Shin Bet). Official Statements (November 2012)

Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 'Escalation from the Gaza Strip: Operation Pillar of Defense Summary'

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights. Documentation and Legal Analysis (2012-2013)

Human Rights Watch. Various statements and reports (November 2012 - 2013)


Operation Protective Edge

51-day Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip; deadliest Gaza conflict

War Crimes; Crimes Against Humanity (UN Commission of Inquiry 2015)

Gaza Strip and Southern Israel, Hamas-governed Gaza Strip under Israeli blockade since 2007

Gaza Strip, Under Israeli blockade; governed by Hamas; Reconstruction incomplete; ongoing blockade; infrastructure severely damaged

2,251 Palestinians (1,462 civilians, 551 children, 299 women); 73 Israelis (67 soldiers, 6 civilians)

11,231 Palestinians (3,436 children); 1,600 Israelis (270 children)

500,000 Palestinians (1/3 of Gaza's population); 100,000 remained displaced one year later

Hamas military wing (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades)

Summary: Operation Protective Edge began on July 7, 2014, ostensibly in response to escalating rocket fire from Gaza, but in a context of heightened tensions following the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank in June. Israel launched massive airstrikes across Gaza, conducting over 6,000 air raids in 51 days. The operation had three phases: an initial week of intensive aerial bombardment, a ground invasion beginning July 17 aimed at destroying cross-border tunnels, and a final phase from August 5 characterized by alternating ceasefires and continued strikes. The stated objectives were to stop rocket attacks and destroy Hamas's military infrastructure and tunnel network. The human toll was unprecedented. The UN Commission of Inquiry documented 2,251 Palestinian deaths, with 1,462 identified as civilians—65% of all deaths. Among the dead were 551 children and 299 women. Entire families were wiped out in single strikes: 18 members of the Al-Batsh family killed on July 13, 17 members of the Abu Jame family on July 20, 26 members of the Al-Najjar family on July 20. The Commission investigated 15 cases of attacks on residential buildings and found that in many instances there was no evidence of a legitimate military target, or the attacks were grossly disproportionate. B'Tselem documented 606 attacks on residential buildings killing 1,447 civilians. The percentage of women among civilian deaths (20.2%) was significantly higher than in previous operations. Several specific incidents stood out for their brutality. On July 19-20, Israeli forces launched a massive assault on Shuja'iya, one of Gaza's most densely populated neighborhoods. Over 100 Palestinians were killed in approximately 24 hours as Israeli artillery fired thousands of shells into residential areas. Witnesses described civilians being shot while attempting to flee with white flags. On August 1, after an Israeli soldier was reportedly captured in Rafah, Israel invoked the Hannibal Directive—calling for overwhelming force without regard for civilian life. In three hours, Israeli forces fired over 1,000 artillery shells into Rafah, killing 130-150 Palestinians, overwhelmingly civilians. The UN described this as a 'moral outrage and a criminal act.' The systematic destruction of Gaza's infrastructure was also staggering: Gaza's only power plant destroyed, 18,000 homes razed, 89,000 damaged, 73 medical facilities attacked, 262 schools damaged. The UN Commission concluded there was evidence indicating serious violations of international humanitarian law amounting to war crimes by Israeli forces, including deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Commission also found Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes through indiscriminate rocket attacks and the extrajudicial execution of 21 alleged collaborators. On the Israeli side, 73 people died: 67 soldiers and 6 civilians killed by rockets and mortars.

Systematic Attacks on Residential Buildings

Shuja'iya Massacre - Indiscriminate Artillery Fire

Rafah 'Black Friday' - Hannibal Directive

Attacks on Medical Facilities and Personnel

Attacks on UN Schools Sheltering Displaced

Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure - Power Plant

Palestinian Indiscriminate Rocket Attacks (War Crime)

Extrajudicial Executions by Hamas (War Crime)

UN Commission of Inquiry Report A/HRC/29/52

B'Tselem Report on Residential Buildings

UN Commission Press Conference, June 22, 2015

UN Secretary-General statements, August 2014

Amnesty Report: 'Families Under the Rubble', November 2014

HRW Report 'Findings on Violations', September 2014

Breaking the Silence testimonies, 2014-2015

Medical testimonies compilation, UN Commission


Great March of Return

Weekly protests at Gaza-Israel separation fence demanding right of return

Gaza Strip - Separation fence with Israel, Hamas-governed Gaza Strip under Israeli blockade since 2007

Gaza Strip, Under Israeli blockade; governed by Hamas, Blockade ongoing; protests ended December 2019

223 Palestinians (189 during 2018; 34 during 2019); Zero Israelis killed

28,939 Palestinians total; 6,106 by live ammunition; Zero Israeli injuries reported

No displacement but severe long-term disabilities created

Israel Defense Forces
Israeli Border Police
Israeli military snipers
Israeli security forces

Summary: The Great March of Return began on March 30, 2018—Palestinian Land Day and the 42nd anniversary of mass protests against Israeli land confiscation. Organized by independent activists, the protests were conceived as peaceful demonstrations to draw international attention to Gaza's humanitarian crisis, the blockade, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Five designated protest sites were established along Gaza's eastern border, several hundred meters from the separation fence. The protests were intended to last from Land Day (March 30) through Nakba Day (May 15), but continued for 21 months until Hamas announced their end on December 27, 2019. Israel's response was immediate and lethal. Israeli Defense Forces deployed snipers along the fence with rules of engagement permitting use of live ammunition against protesters. On the opening day, March 30, 2018, Israeli forces killed 18 Palestinians and shot over 700 with live ammunition. The bloodiest day came on May 14, 2018—the day the US Embassy officially opened in Jerusalem—when Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinians and shot over 1,100. By December 31, 2018, Israeli snipers had shot 6,106 Palestinians with live ammunition, killing 183 during official protest days. Thirty-five were children, three were clearly marked paramedics, and two were clearly marked journalists. Another 3,098 Palestinians were injured by bullet fragmentation, rubber-coated metal bullets, or tear gas canisters. The UN Commission of Inquiry investigated every killing at the designated demonstration sites on official protest days between March 30 and December 31, 2018. Commissioners reviewed video evidence, medical records, ballistics reports, and conducted extensive interviews. Their finding was damning: with the exception of two incidents, the Commission found reasonable grounds to believe the use of live ammunition was unlawful. The victims 'were neither participating directly in hostilities nor posing an imminent threat' when shot. Commissioner Sara Hossain stated: 'There can be no justification for killing and injuring journalists, medics, and persons who were clearly not posing an imminent threat of death or serious injury.' The Commission concluded the pattern of violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. Notable victims included 21-year-old paramedic Razan al-Najjar, shot and killed while treating wounded protesters despite wearing a clearly marked white medical vest, and journalist Yaser Murtaja, shot dead while wearing press insignia. By the time protests ended in December 2019, 223 Palestinians had been killed and 28,939 injured. At least 122 Palestinians required limb amputations including 20 children. Israel has conducted no meaningful investigations, with all but a handful of cases closed without indictment.

Excessive and Indiscriminate Use of Force

UN Commission Report A/HRC/40/74; B'Tselem Comprehensive Statistics

UN Commission Report para. 77-82; Defense for Children International - Palestine

UN Commission Report para. 83-87; Physicians for Human Rights - Israel

Committee to Protect Journalists Report; UN Commission Report para. 88-92

UN OCHA Humanitarian Bulletin; Palestinian Ministry of Health Gaza

WHO Special Report on Limb Injuries; Medical Aid for Palestinians Assessment

UN Commission Press Conference, February 28, 2019

Family testimony to investigators; media interviews

Testimony to Canadian Parliament; media interviews, May 2018

Final interview; Committee to Protect Journalists investigation

UN Commission Report para. 35-40; B'Tselem Documentation

Committee to Protect Journalists Investigation; UN Commission para. 88-92

UN Commission Special Section on May 14; Al Jazeera Documentation

UN Commission Investigation para. 83-87; Physicians for Human Rights Report

Adalah - Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights

📄 UN Commission Report, Executive Summary ↑

📄 UN Commission Special Section on May 14 ↑


Operation Guardian of the Walls

11-day Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip

Gaza Strip, Israel, East Jerusalem, West Bank, Hamas-governed Gaza under Israeli blockade; East Jerusalem and West Bank under occupation

Gaza Strip, Under Israeli blockade; governed by Hamas, Blockade ongoing; reconstruction incomplete

260 Palestinians (129 civilians, 66 children, 40 women); 13 Israelis (12 civilians, 1 soldier)

1,948 Palestinians; Several hundred Israelis

Tens of thousands temporarily displaced in Gaza

Summary: The escalation that became Operation Guardian of the Walls was rooted in events in Jerusalem. During Ramadan 2021, Israeli police erected barriers preventing Palestinians from gathering at Damascus Gate—a traditional gathering place—and violently suppressed protests. Simultaneously, Israeli courts moved forward with eviction proceedings against Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem to make way for Jewish settlers. On May 7, hundreds of Palestinians were injured when Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during prayers, firing rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas inside the mosque itself. International condemnation was swift, but on May 10—Lailat al-Qadr, the holiest night of Ramadan—Israeli police again raided Al-Aqsa, injuring over 300 Palestinians. Hamas issued an ultimatum demanding Israeli forces withdraw from Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah by 6 PM. When Israel refused, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired rockets toward Jerusalem at 6:05 PM, marking the beginning of the conflict. Israel's response was immediate and overwhelming. Within hours, Israeli jets struck over 130 targets across Gaza. Over the next 11 days, the IDF conducted more than 1,500 airstrikes while Palestinian armed groups fired 4,360 rockets and mortars into Israel—the Iron Dome intercepted approximately 90% of projectiles headed toward populated areas. The first day saw the al-Masri family strike in Beit Hanoun where a missile killed 8 civilians including 6 children who were packing barley for animal feed. Israel claimed it was a misfired Palestinian rocket, but Human Rights Watch's investigation found evidence of a guided missile and no military target. The deadliest single incident came on May 16 when Israeli forces launched a four-minute assault on al-Wahda Street in central Gaza City, causing three multi-story residential buildings to collapse. Forty-four civilians were killed including 18 children. HRW found the buildings collapsed after missiles struck the road or sidewalk adjacent to them—there were no evident military targets. The operation took place against the backdrop of Israel's 14-year blockade of Gaza and its systematic discrimination against Palestinians, which Human Rights Watch had characterized as apartheid just one month earlier in April 2021. The 11-day conflict killed 260 Palestinians (129 civilians according to UN/HRW, though Israel claimed most were militants). Thirteen Israelis died including 12 civilians killed by rockets. Human Rights Watch conducted in-depth investigations of three Israeli strikes that killed 62 Palestinian civilians total, finding 'no evident military targets in the vicinity' of any—constituting apparent war crimes. A third incident HRW investigated was the May 15 bombing of a building in Shati refugee camp that killed 10 people (8 children, 2 women); Israel claimed senior Hamas officials were hiding there, but HRW found no evidence of military targets. The report also documented that Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes through indiscriminate rocket fire at Israeli population centers. The operation ended with an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire on May 21, but neither side achieved strategic objectives, and Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepened significantly.

Al-Wahda Street Attack - 44 Civilians Killed

Al-Masri Family Strike - 6 Children Killed

Shati Refugee Camp Bombing - 8 Children Killed

Indiscriminate Rocket Attacks (Palestinian War Crime)

Pattern of Attacks Without Evident Military Targets

Human Rights Watch Report; UN OCHA Statistics

Gaza Health Ministry via Meir Amit Center

HRW Investigation; Democracy Now Coverage


West Bank Raids 2022–2023

Two-year period of intensified Israeli military operations in West Bank

Unlawful killings; disproportionate force

West Bank including East Jerusalem, Palestinian territories under Israeli military occupation since 1967

West Bank, Under Israeli military occupation; Areas A, B, C division under Oslo Accords; Ongoing occupation; violence escalated significantly

500+ Palestinians (2022-2023 combined) including 78+ children; 19 Israelis killed by Palestinians (early 2022)

9,000+ Palestinians injured in 2022 alone (UN data); thousands more in 2023

Multiple communities displaced by settler violence; 500 families displaced in Jenin July 2023

Israel Defense Forces
Israeli Border Police
Israeli settlers (complicit in attacks)
Shin Bet (Israeli internal security)
Special forces units including Duvdevan

Summary: The escalation began in spring 2022 following a series of attacks by Palestinians inside Israel that killed 19 Israelis between March 22 and May 7. Israel responded by launching 'Operation Break the Wave'—near-nightly military raids into West Bank cities and refugee camps, particularly Jenin and Nablus. These cities had become centers of renewed armed Palestinian resistance with the emergence of groups like the Jenin Brigades (founded September 2021), the Lions' Den in Nablus, and the Balata Brigades. The Israeli operations involved massive deployments of troops, bulldozers destroying infrastructure and roads, use of live ammunition in densely populated areas, and increasingly, aerial bombardment including drone strikes. By the end of 2022, 220 Palestinians had been killed including 48 children—the highest annual toll since the Second Intifada ended in 2005. The violence was not limited to armed confrontations. According to Middle East Eye's analysis, the majority of Palestinian casualties in 2022 were likely unarmed at the time of their death. At least 95 Palestinians were shot by Israeli soldiers as bystanders during army raids or while participating in anti-occupation demonstrations. Seven women and girls were killed, including 15-year-old Jana Zakarneh shot twice in the face while playing with her cat on her rooftop, and 15-year-old Fulla al-Masalma killed a day before her birthday. The most internationally significant killing was that of Shireen Abu Akleh, Al Jazeera's veteran Palestinian correspondent, shot in the head on May 11, 2022 while covering a raid in Jenin. Despite wearing a clearly marked PRESS vest and standing with other journalists, Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire. The UN Commission of Inquiry investigated and concluded 'on reasonable grounds that Israeli forces used lethal force without justification under international human rights law and, intentionally or recklessly, violated Abu Akleh's right to life.' The violence intensified further in 2023. In January, a raid on Jenin killed 10 Palestinians including a 61-year-old woman shot through the neck while watching from her bedroom window. In February, 11 Palestinians were killed in Nablus including civilians shot in the back while fleeing. In July, Israel conducted its largest West Bank operation in 20 years—a 14-hour assault on Jenin refugee camp using drones, helicopter gunships, and hundreds of troops, killing 12 and forcing 500 families to flee. By December 2023, Doctors Without Borders declared it 'the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in recorded history' with 507 killed including 127 children. The UN Commission found Israeli forces systematically violated international law by applying combat rules to law enforcement situations, using disproportionate force, failing to distinguish between civilians and combatants, obstructing medical care, and conducting what amounted to extrajudicial executions. Meanwhile, settler violence also surged—the UN recorded over 800 settler attacks on Palestinians between October 2022 and May 2024, often occurring with Israeli military acquiescence or participation.

Unlawful Killing of Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

UN Commission Press Release, October 16, 2023

Family testimony to media and human rights organizations

Al Jazeera Official Statement, May 11, 2022

UN Secretary-General Statements, January-February 2023

PA Official Statement, February 22, 2023


UNRWA School Strikes

Summary: Series of attacks on UNRWA schools serving as shelters for displaced Palestinians. Multiple schools hit despite UN coordination with Israeli forces.

Attacks on UN facilities
Targeting of protected sites
Attacks on displaced persons
Civilian casualties


Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital Strike

Summary: Explosion at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital compound where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering. Massive casualties in hospital courtyard.

Attack on medical facility
Targeting of protected site
Civilian deaths
Attack on displaced persons


Gaza City Systematic Destruction

Summary: Systematic destruction of entire neighborhoods in Gaza City. Thousands of buildings reduced to rubble. Mass displacement of population.

Collective punishment
Destruction of civilian infrastructure
Forced displacement
War crimes


Jabalia Refugee Camp Bombardment (First Strike)

Summary: Massive airstrike on densely populated Jabalia refugee camp. Entire residential blocks destroyed. Israel admitted targeting Hamas commander.

Disproportionate attack
Targeting civilians
Collective punishment
Destruction of civilian homes


Al-Shifa Hospital Siege

Summary: Israeli forces besieged Gaza's largest hospital, cutting off power and water. Patients died due to lack of medical care. Hospital raided despite being protected under international law.

Attack on medical facility
Denial of medical care
Targeting protected site
Civilian deaths


Flour Massacre - Al-Rashid Street

Summary: Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for food aid distribution. Hundreds of civilians killed and injured while trying to obtain flour.

Targeting civilians
Firing on aid recipients
Starvation as weapon of war
Mass killing


World Central Kitchen Workers Killing

Summary: Israeli forces targeted and killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in three consecutive strikes on clearly marked vehicles. International outcry followed.

Targeting aid workers
Targeting clearly marked vehicles
War crimes
Obstruction of humanitarian aid


Mass Graves Discovery at Nasser Hospital

Summary: Mass graves discovered at Nasser Hospital after Israeli withdrawal. Bodies found with hands tied, evidence of executions. Some bodies taken from hospital by Israeli forces.

Extrajudicial executions
Desecration of dead
Forced disappearances
War crimes


Rafah Tent Camp Massacre

Summary: Israeli airstrike on tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah. Many victims burned alive in their tents. Israel claimed targeting Hamas operatives.

Targeting displaced persons
Disproportionate force
Civilian deaths
Use of incendiary weapons


Starvation Genocide - Northern Gaza Blockade

Summary: Complete blockade of northern Gaza including Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya. No food, water, or medical supplies allowed. Use of starvation as method of warfare.

Starvation as weapon of war
Genocide
Collective punishment
Crimes against humanity
Denial of humanitarian aid