The Israel Security Agency’s report on terror attacks (Hebrew) during May 2021 shows that throughout the month a total of 2,805 incidents took place: 414 in Judea & Samaria, 178 in Jerusalem and inside the ‘green line’ and 2,213 in the Gaza Strip sector.
In Judea & Samaria, Jerusalem and inside the ‘green line’ the agency recorded 401 attacks with petrol bombs, 33 attacks using pipe bombs, two rock-throwing attacks, 19 stabbing/assault attacks, 47 shooting attacks (including 2 cases of rocket fire from Lebanon), 87 arson attacks, one vehicular attack and two attacks with grenades.
In the Gaza Strip sector 2,203 separate incidents of rocket fire (involving a total of around 4,500 rockets), two attacks with petrol bombs, one IED attack, two shooting attacks, two arson attacks and three attacks using anti-tank missiles took place.
Fifteen people died and 168 were injured throughout the month. Thirteen of the deaths occurred during Operation Guardian of the Walls, one person died after a shooting attack at Tapuach Junction on May 2nd and one man died as the result of an attack in Lod.
The later BBC News website coverage does report that 13 people died during the eleven days of hostilities. The sole reference to the murder of 19-year-old Yehuda Guetta in the shooting attack at a Tapuach Junction bus stop was found – with no mention of his name – six days after the event in a report on another topic. The death of Yigal Yehoshua from Lod was reported on the BBC News website’s May 18th ‘live’ page.
Later BBC reports state that between 4,000 and 4,300 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip with some using the ‘Israel says’ formula. Of the incidents of rocket fire which took place before the evening of May 10th, one was mentioned in a general report and two were ignored. The incidents of rocket fire from Lebanese territory were covered in BBC reports.
The May 16th vehicular attack in Sheikh Jarrah was briefly mentioned in BBC coverage, as was the May 12th anti-tank missile attack which killed an Israeli soldier near Netiv Ha’Asara and the similar May 20thattack near Zikim.
Visitors to the BBC news website on May 12th found generalised references to arson attacks and rock throwing and additional reporting referred to assaults. A May 14th report included a generalised reference to petrol bombs.
A generous appraisal would put BBC coverage at about 2,500 of the 2,805 attacks which actually took place and the coverage during May once again highlights the fact that the BBC for the most part ignores terrorism against Israelis which is not part of a major flare-up.
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SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – MAY 2021
