The Israel Defense Forces reported early in the morning of May 6 that a rocket had been fired from Gaza into Israel and landed in an open area. No injuries were indicated. In response, IDF tanks shelled three Hamas positions in the northern Gaza Strip. The rocket fire came after 40 days of relative calm on the Gaza-Israel border, with both sides preoccupied with battling the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The virus has also opened a window of opportunity for advancing a prisoner-exchange deal. On April 2, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar indicated that his group is ready to make some concessions in exchange for what he called a "humanitarian gesture" by Israel of releasing elderly, young and female prisoners. Palestinian officials expressed concerns for the health of Hamas prisoners held in Israeli jails during the pandemic, and they clarified that Hamas needs Israel’s medical assistance in combatting the virus and preventing a large outbreak in Gaza. The "concessions" Sinwar was referring to relate to two Israeli nationals and the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, all held by Hamas. Avraham Avera Mengistu crossed into Gaza in 2014 and Hisham al-Sayyad crossed in 2015. Both men apparently suffer from mental health issues. IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin were killed in the 2014 Protective Edge operation in Gaza. Israel has been demanding the release of its citizens and bodies of soldiers for several years, but no deal has been reached so far.
