Israel–Hamas ceasefire (May 2021)
⊗ CollapsedAn Egyptian-mediated ceasefire ended 11 days of fighting between Israel and armed groups in Gaza in May 2021. It restored calm but contained no political settlement and was ultimately destroyed by the October 2023 war.
The ceasefire began at 2 a.m. on May 21, 2021, ending 11 days of Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket fire. Egypt led the mediation, with Qatar and the United Nations supporting efforts to restore calm.
The agreement was essentially a mutual and unconditional cessation of fire. It held through later limited escalations but did not settle the blockade, Jerusalem flashpoints, or the broader conflict. The October 2023 war made the prior arrangement nonfunctional, so it is marked collapsed.
Duration: Open-ended
- Mutual and simultaneous cessation of military activity
Party: Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups
Basis: Attributed by a UN body
The UN Commission found that the October 7 attack was led and coordinated by Hamas and carried out with other Palestinian armed groups; UNRWA recorded the rocket barrage and ground attack before Israel's military response. This assigns the attack that ended the 2021 ceasefire, not responsibility for the conflict's wider causes or Israel's subsequent conduct.
Sources:
Sources
- UN Secretary-General — May 21, 2021 ceasefire briefing
- UN Security Council — May 2021 ceasefire briefing
Last updated 2026-07-17