Jerusalem violence escalates into deadly airstrikes
More than 20 people have died in Gaza after the Israeli military launched an all-night airstrike in response to rocket attacks from Palestinian militants.
Gaza health officials said 24 people, including children, died in the attacks. The Israeli military said 15 of the dead were “operatives” from Hamas – the Islamist group that rules inside Gaza.
During the same period, Gaza militants fired a volley of rockets towards Israel, where medics reported that six Israeli civilians were wounded by the rocket fire.
The Israeli military said that further action would follow in the coming days and vowed to hold Hamas to account for attacks on civilians in Israel. Speaking yesterday evening after the first Gaza rockets were launched, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said Hamas had crossed a “red line” and pledged to respond “with force”.
In a statement issued early this morning, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the rocket attacks would continue until Israel stops “all scenes of terrorism and aggression in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque.”
The attacks followed a day of violence in Jerusalem, where hundreds of people were injured in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police at al-Aqsa mosque. Palestinian worshippers hurled rocks at police, who in turn used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber-tipped bullets to clear crowds.
In a separate incident, an Israeli motorist crashed into one of around a dozen Palestinian stone-throwers who attacked his vehicle in East Jerusalem.
Jerusalem has become a flashpoint for the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in recent weeks amid mounting anger over Israel’s half-century occupation and its military grip over Palestinian life.
Tensions have also been stoked by the possible eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem to make way for Jewish settlers. A court hearing on whether to proceed with evictions was due to take place on Monday but was postponed by the supreme court, with a new date to be set within 30 days.
The US, the European Union and the UK have urged Israel and the Palestinians to lower tensions as soon as possible.
Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, called on all sides to “de-escalate”, while Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said the “significant upsurge in violence” needs to “stop immediately”.
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, also condemned the Hamas attacks and called for “immediate de-escalation on all sides”.
The UN Security Council held an urgent meeting Monday to discuss the violence, but no statement has been issued. Speaking to the Associated Press, a diplomatic official said the UN, Egypt and Qatar were all trying to halt the fighting.