Soumya Santosh*

May 12th, 2021: Soumya Santosh*, 31, was killed by a Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza.

After Israeli forces pounded the Gaza Strip with missiles for two straight days, killing at least 35 Palestinians including 12 children, and refusing to respond to Palestinian demands for a withdrawal and a ceasefire, Palestinian resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip launched a barrage of rockets across the border into Israel, killing five Israelis, including a teenage girl and her father.

One of those killed has been identified as Soumya Santosh, from Kerala, India, who worked as a housemaid for an Israeli household in Ashkelon for the past seven years.

In addition, a 50-year old Israeli woman was killed in Rishon Lezion, just south of Tel Aviv.

Rocket sirens sounded throughout the night in Israel’s southern towns and cities, and the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was briefly shut down. 26 Israelis were reportedly injured – most with minor injuries.

The rockets were fired in the early morning hours on Wednesday, as Gaza’s hospitals were besieged with hundreds of wounded Palestinians, many of them children, who suffered traumatic and severe injuries from the numerous Israeli missile strikes into crowded Palestinian neighborhoods throughout Gaza on Monday and Tuesday.

In addition to bombing Palestinian neighborhoods for two straight days, the Israeli military called up 5,000 reservists and had them stationed at the border with Gaza to threaten the Gaza Strip with a possible ground invasion.

The Palestinian resistance responded to this violent aggression with rocket fire directed toward Tel Aviv. This marks the longest-range rockets that have been fired by the Palestinian resistance to date. Other rockets fired in the past have reached as far as the coastal Israeli city of Ashkelon (formerly the Palestinian town of Azkalan), but had not had the range or capacity to reach the Israeli capital Tel Aviv (built on the former Palestinian town of Yaffa) before.

Israelis in the cities of Sderot, Holon and Ashkelon rushed to shelters and many stayed there overnight to try to avoid the impact of Palestinian resistance rocket fire.

Israeli media reported that at 8:45 A.M. on Wednesday, Israeli forces intercepted a drone crossing from Gaza into Israel.

The teen girl and her father who were killed by a Palestinian resistance rocket, Nadine and Khalil Awaad, were themselves Palestinian – with Israeli citizenship. But their town, Dhamas near Lod, being a mainly Palestinian village, was never provided bomb shelters like the Jewish Israeli towns were provided by the government. In fact, their village, Dhamas, was not recognized by Israeli authorities, and so lacks basic services and is under threat of demolition by the Israeli government. One of their relatives, Ismail Arafat, lives there as well and has been part of leading the struggle for recognition of the village.

The Israeli news agency Ha’aretz quoted Ismail Arafat as saying, “We have nowhere to go. We don’t have a bomb shelter here for everyone. For the Thai [migrant] workers they built shelters, but we were not allowed because we are not humans. Nadine and Khalil were in the middle of breakfast before fasting [for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan]. It seems that he opened the door and that’s how he was hit.”

Soumya was from the Idukki district of Kerala, India, but had been living and working in Ashkelon, Israel when she was killed. Source: IMEMC

Khalil Awad

No image available - Israel Palestine TimelineMay 12, 2021: Khalil Awad, 52, was killed along with his daughter Nadine, 16, in front of their home in the Palestinian village of Dahmash in central Israel, about 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv, in the early morning of May 12.

A teen girl and her father who were killed by a Palestinian resistance rocket, Nadine and Khalil Awaad, were themselves Palestinian – with Israeli citizenship. But their town, Dahmash near Lod, being a mainly Palestinian village, was never provided bomb shelters like the Jewish Israeli towns were provided by the government. In fact, their village, Dhamas, was not recognized by Israeli authorities, and so lacks basic services and is under threat of demolition by the Israeli government. One of their relatives, Ismail Arafat, lives there as well and has been part of leading the struggle for recognition of the village.

The rocket attack that killed them occurred after the al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, said in a statement on the evening of May 11 that they had “directed the largest rocket barrage toward Tel Aviv and its surrounding areas, with 130 rockets, in response to the enemy’s targeting of civilian buildings.”

In the midst of a deadly night in Gaza in which Israeli bombardment killed at least 34 Palestinians in a single night of bombing, Palestinian resistance fighters retaliated in the early morning hours with the launch of rockets toward Israel, killing six Israelis.

The rockets were fired in the early morning hours on Wednesday, as Gaza’s hospitals were besieged with hundreds of wounded Palestinians, many of them children, who suffered traumatic and severe injuries from the numerous Israeli missile strikes into crowded Palestinian neighborhoods throughout Gaza on Monday and Tuesday.

In addition to bombing Palestinian neighborhoods for two straight days, the Israeli military called up 5,000 reservists and had them stationed at the border with Gaza to threaten the Gaza Strip with a possible ground invasion.

The Palestinian resistance responded to this violent aggression with rocket fire directed toward Tel Aviv. This marks the longest-range rockets that have been fired by the Palestinian resistance to date. Other rockets fired in the past have reached as far as the coastal Israeli city of Ashkelon (formerly the Palestinian town of Azkalan), but had not had the range or capacity to reach the Israeli capital Tel Aviv (built on the former Palestinian town of Yaffa) before.

Israelis in the cities of Sderot, Holon and Ashkelon rushed to shelters and many stayed there overnight to try to avoid the impact of Palestinian resistance rocket fire.

Israeli media reported that at 8:45 A.M. on Wednesday, Israeli forces intercepted a drone crossing from Gaza into Israel.

The Israeli news agency Ha’aretz quoted Ismail Arafat as saying, “We have nowhere to go. We don’t have a bomb shelter here for everyone. For the Thai [migrant] workers they built shelters, but we were not allowed because we are not humans. Nadine and Khalil were in the middle of breakfast before fasting [for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan]. It seems that he opened the door and that’s how he was hit.”

Khalil was from the Palestinian village of Dahmash in central Israel. IMEMC

Leah Yom-Tov

May 12, 2021: Leah Yom-Tov, 63, was killed by a rocket fired by the Palestinian resistance toward Israel.

In the midst of a deadly night in Gaza in which Israeli bombardment killed at least 34 Palestinians in a single night of bombing, Palestinian resistance fighters retaliated in the early morning hours with the launch of rockets toward Israel, killing six Israelis.

The rockets were fired in the early morning hours on Wednesday, as Gaza’s hospitals were besieged with hundreds of wounded Palestinians, many of them children, who suffered traumatic and severe injuries from the numerous Israeli missile strikes into crowded Palestinian neighborhoods throughout Gaza on Monday and Tuesday.

In addition to bombing Palestinian neighborhoods for two straight days, the Israeli military called up 5,000 reservists and had them stationed at the border with Gaza to threaten the Gaza Strip with a possible ground invasion.

The Palestinian resistance responded to this violent aggression with rocket fire directed toward Tel Aviv. This marks the longest-range rockets that have been fired by the Palestinian resistance to date. Other rockets fired in the past have reached as far as the coastal Israeli city of Ashkelon (formerly the Palestinian town of Azkalan), but had not had the range or capacity to reach the Israeli capital Tel Aviv (built on the former Palestinian town of Yaffa) before.

Israelis in the cities of Sderot, Holon and Ashkelon rushed to shelters and many stayed there overnight to try to avoid the impact of Palestinian resistance rocket fire.

Israeli media reported that at 8:45 A.M. on Wednesday, Israeli forces intercepted a drone crossing from Gaza into Israel.

A teen girl and her father who were killed by a Palestinian resistance rocket, Nadine and Khalil Awaad, were themselves Palestinian – with Israeli citizenship. But their town, Dhamas near Lod, being a mainly Palestinian village, was never provided bomb shelters like the Jewish Israeli towns were provided by the government. In fact, their village, Dhamas, was not recognized by Israeli authorities, and so lacks basic services and is under threat of demolition by the Israeli government. One of their relatives, Ismail Arafat, lives there as well and has been part of leading the struggle for recognition of the village.

The Israeli news agency Ha’aretz quoted Ismail Arafat as saying, “We have nowhere to go. We don’t have a bomb shelter here for everyone. For the Thai [migrant] workers they built shelters, but we were not allowed because we are not humans. Nadine and Khalil were in the middle of breakfast before fasting [for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan]. It seems that he opened the door and that’s how he was hit.”

Leah was from Israel. IMEMC

Ido Avigal

Ido AvigalMay 12, 2021: Ido Avigal, 5, was killed when he was struck by shrapnel from a rocket that hit near a bomb shelter where he was hiding with his family. He died of his wounds several hours after he was injured.

In the midst of a deadly night in Gaza in which Israeli bombardment killed at least 34 Palestinians in a single night of bombing, Palestinian resistance fighters retaliated in the early morning hours with the launch of rockets toward Israel, killing six Israelis.

The rockets were fired in the early morning hours on Wednesday, as Gaza’s hospitals were besieged with hundreds of wounded Palestinians, many of them children, who suffered traumatic and severe injuries from the numerous Israeli missile strikes into crowded Palestinian neighborhoods throughout Gaza on Monday and Tuesday.

In addition to bombing Palestinian neighborhoods for two straight days, the Israeli military called up 5,000 reservists and had them stationed at the border with Gaza to threaten the Gaza Strip with a possible ground invasion.

The Palestinian resistance responded to this violent aggression with rocket fire directed toward Tel Aviv. This marks the longest-range rockets that have been fired by the Palestinian resistance to date. Other rockets fired in the past have reached as far as the coastal Israeli city of Ashkelon (formerly the Palestinian town of Azkalan), but had not had the range or capacity to reach the Israeli capital Tel Aviv (built on the former Palestinian town of Yaffa) before.

Israelis in the cities of Sderot, Holon and Ashkelon rushed to shelters and many stayed there overnight to try to avoid the impact of Palestinian resistance rocket fire.

Israeli media reported that at 8:45 A.M. on Wednesday, Israeli forces intercepted a drone crossing from Gaza into Israel.

The Israeli news agency Ha’aretz quoted Ismail Arafat as saying, “We have nowhere to go. We don’t have a bomb shelter here for everyone. For the Thai [migrant] workers they built shelters, but we were not allowed because we are not humans. Nadine and Khalil were in the middle of breakfast before fasting [for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan]. It seems that he opened the door and that’s how he was hit.”

Ido was from Israel. Source: IMEMC

Shai Ohayon

August 26, 2020: Shai Ohayon, 39, was stabbed to death in Petah Tikva, in central Israel, allegedly by a Palestinian man.

Update: November 1, 2020: Israeli soldiers invaded Rojeeb village, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, on Monday at dawn, and demolished the family home of the Palestinian, suspected of killing Ohayon.

Shai was a father of four. He was unconscious when first responders reached him before he was transferred to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect, a Palestinian man, identified as Khalil Dweikat, who holds a valid Israeli work permit, was chased by witnesses, and then arrested by the Israeli Police, who suspected a political motive for the attack. He was then interrogated by Israel’s Intelligence Agency, the Shin Bet.

Khalil has a long history of mental disorders and received treatment by Palestinian physicians. He also was not a member or supporter of any Palestinian faction and had no political activities.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu announced to the nation that his government, “will work to demolish the terrorist’s house and carry out the most severe punishment.”

Magen David Adom teams reported that the Shai had multiple stab wounds to his upper body, that the victim was provided with medical treatment and transferred to Rabin Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Shai was from Petah Tikva, in central Israel. Source: IMEMC

Nina Ginisdanova

September 17th, 2019: Nina Ginisdanova, 74, died of injuries sustained a year prior when a rocket fired by Palestinian fighters hit her apartment building and injured her.

From the time of her injury, which occurred on November 12th, 2018, until the time of her death, she remained in a coma in a hospital in Ashkelon.

On the day that she was injured, Nov. 12th, 2018, at least seven Palestinians were killed in Gaza in an Israeli undercover ground invasion and airstrikes.

According to media reports, she never regained consciousness. In the same incident, a Palestinian man who resided in the building while in Israel for work was killed and, according to media reports, another woman was seriously wounded.

Nina was from Ashkelon, Israel. Source: B’Tselem

Rifqa Jamil

July 7, 2019: Rifqa Jamil, 89, died of an injury sustained two months prior when Palestinian resistance fighters fired shells into her area. She fell while running to a bomb shelter, and injured her back.

Since that time, Israeli medical sources report that her condition severely deteriorated, and she died on July 7th. According to a statement from the hospital, “During her hospitalization at Barzilai Medical Center, other problems relating to her health arose which, as a result of her condition gradually deteriorated”.

Jamil was a resident of Ashkelon, a city on the coast of southern Israel which was once home to tens of thousands of Palestinian families who are now refugees in the walled-in Gaza Strip.

She was also the widow of an Israeli soldier, who was killed during the 1973 War against Palestinians and Arab states.

Her injury was sustained during the escalation two months ago, in which Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians through airstrikes and mortar shells, and Palestinian resistance fighters responded by firing shells into Israel, killing three Israeli civilians.

Rifqa was from Ashkelon, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Ziad Alhamamda

May 5, 2019: Ziad Alhamamda, was killed by a Palestinian shell while working at a factory in Ashkelon.

As Israeli forces continue their massive escalation in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance groups responded by launching hundreds of small-scale rockets across the border between Gaza and Israel, killing four Israelis and wounding at least eight.

Ziad was one of the four killed on the Israeli side. He was a Palestinian Bedouin from the unrecognized Negev village of as-Sawaween.

Moshe Feder, 68, was killed in Kfar Saba by an anti-tank mortar fired from Gaza across the border.

Also Sunday, Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, 21, was killed by a rocket fired by Palestinian resistance fighters toward the Israeli city of Ashdod, on the coast of Israel, on Sunday evening.

According to Ynet, “Prezuazman was walking in the street when he heard the air-raid siren and ran to seek cover in a nearby building but was hit by shrapnel when he entered the stairwell.”

In Ashkelon, a city located about 14 kilometers north of Gaza, Moshe Agadi, 58, was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Israeli forces have reportedly killed 26 Palestinians during the past three days – four on Friday, four on Saturday, and 18 on Sunday.

According to the Israeli military, an estimated 600 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel on Saturday and Sunday, most of which were intercepted by the ‘Iron Dome’ defense system .

A military spokesperson told Ynet, “Two hundred rockets were fired at residential areas, with an interception rate above 86 percent”.

The Palestinian shells are crude and mostly homemade, with no ability to make precise aiming. The damage done by these rockets is far less than the missiles dropped by Israel into the Gaza Strip — although they can be deadly if there is a direct hit.

Moshe Feder

May 5, 2019: Moshe Feder, 68, was killed in Kfar Saba by an anti-tank mortar fired from Gaza across the border.

As Israeli forces continue their massive escalation in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance groups responded by launching hundreds of small-scale rockets across the border between Gaza and Israel, killing four Israelis and wounding at least eight.

Also Sunday, Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, 21, was killed by a rocket fired by Palestinian resistance fighters toward the Israeli city of Ashdod, on the coast of Israel, on Sunday evening.

According to Ynet, “Prezuazman was walking in the street when he heard the air-raid siren and ran to seek cover in a nearby building but was hit by shrapnel when he entered the stairwell.”

In Ashkelon, a city located about 14 kilometers north of Gaza, two Israelis were killed. One, Moshe Agadi, 58, was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The other, Ziad Alhamamda, was killed during the day while working at a factory in Ashkelon.

Israeli forces have reportedly killed 26 Palestinians during the past three days – four on Friday, four on Saturday, and 18 on Sunday.

According to the Israeli military, an estimated 600 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel on Saturday and Sunday, most of which were intercepted by the ‘Iron Dome’ defense system .

A military spokesperson told Ynet, “Two hundred rockets were fired at residential areas, with an interception rate above 86 percent”.

The Palestinian shells are crude and mostly homemade, with no ability to make precise aiming. The damage done by these rockets is far less than the missiles dropped by Israel into the Gaza Strip — although they can be deadly if there is a direct hit.

Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman

May 5, 2019: Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, 21, was killed by a rocket fired by Palestinian resistance fighters toward the Israeli city of Ashdod, on the coast of Israel, on Sunday evening.

As Israeli forces continue their massive escalation in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance groups responded by launching hundreds of small-scale rockets across the border between Gaza and Israel, killing four Israelis and wounding at least eight.

According to Ynet, “Prezuazman was walking in the street when he heard the air-raid siren and ran to seek cover in a nearby building but was hit by shrapnel when he entered the stairwell.”

Prezuazman’s killing marked the fourth death of an Israeli on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Moshe Feder, 68, was killed in Kfar Saba by an anti-tank mortar fired from Gaza across the border.

In Ashkelon, a city located about 14 kilometers north of Gaza, two Israelis were killed. One, Moshe Agadi, 58, was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The other, Ziad Alhamamda, was killed during the day while working at a factory in Ashkelon.

Israeli forces have reportedly killed 26 Palestinians during the past three days – four on Friday, four on Saturday, and 18 on Sunday.

According to the Israeli military, an estimated 600 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel on Saturday and Sunday, most of which were intercepted by the ‘Iron Dome’ defense system .

A military spokesperson told Ynet, “Two hundred rockets were fired at residential areas, with an interception rate above 86 percent”.

The Palestinian shells are crude and mostly homemade, with no ability to make precise aiming. The damage done by these rockets is far less than the missiles dropped by Israel into the Gaza Strip — although they can be deadly if there is a direct hit.