127 members of the Czech Senate signed a petition that was presented on Monday to the Knesset calling for Hamas to be investigated for crimes against humanity for rocket fire towards Israel during Guardian of the Walls.
“We call on the Czech government to contact the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, inform him of these crimes and ask him to consider the prosecution of those responsible for the rocket fire,” the document said.
Speaker of the Knesset Miki Levy stated that “the State of Israel and the Jewish people are grateful to the Czech Republic and the Czech people. You have stood by our side during the most difficult hours since the establishment of the state, we will never forget your contribution to strengthening Israel’s security and we will always stand by you.”
Operation Guardian of the Walls was an Israeli military operation against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip which was initiated on 10 May 2021 in retaliation for Hamas’ firing of 200 rockets at Israel from 9 to 10 May 2021, in turn motivated by the IDF’s storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem amid a wave of protests against the eviction of Palestinians from Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
On the night of 10 May, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu promised that the Israeli Air Force would retaliate against the rocket attacks with “great force”, initiating “Operation Guardian of the Walls”.
On 11 May, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched more than 500 rockets at Israel, but one-third of them fell short and landed in Gaza. Israel’s air campaign targeted both Hamas and PIJ leaders, killing several of them in targeted assassinations; however, by 12 May, the Israeli bombings also killed dozens of civilians, including 14 children and 3 women.
Hamas’ rocket attacks on Israel killed an elderly woman and her Indian caregiver in Ashkelon, as well as a woman from Rishon LeZion, on 11 May; a day later, two civilians and a soldier were killed by Hamas rockets.
By 17 May 2021, at least 38,000 Palestinians had been displaced from their homes.
On 20 May 2021, Israel and Hamas agreed to a mutual ceasefire deal which would come into effect at 2:00 AM on Friday, 21 May, although Israel’s official statement made clear that IDF forces would be instructed to restart its campaign against militant groups in Gaza if they were deemed to be failing to keep their side of the agreement.
