Escalating conflict between Israelis and Palestinians following Jerusalem clashes

동예루살렘 갈등 속 이스라엘, 팔레스타인 공습

Tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians are heating up after a raid by Israeli police on a holy site prompted Hamas to launch rocket attacks on Jerusalem.
Wasting little time to respond, Israel hit back with airstrikes.
Lee Eun-jin has the details.
Violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated on Monday night with airstrikes and rocket attacks.
After a raid by the Israeli police on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which left hundreds of Palestinians and a score of police officers wounded, militants in Gaza responded by firing a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem.
Israel responded to these rockets with airstrikes.
Shortly before midnight, the Israeli army said at least 150 rockets had been fired into Israel. The attacks set off air raid sirens throughout Jerusalem, as sounds of explosions were heard through the city for the first time since 2014.

As dozens of rockets flew into Israel throughout the night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with top security officials and warned that such attacks will not be tolerated and that the conflict may go beyond calls from the U.S., UN or Europe to calm the situation.

"This evening, on Jerusalem Day, the terrorist organisations in Gaza have crossed a red line and attacked us with missiles in the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israel will respond with great force. We will not tolerate attacks on our territory, on our capital, on our citizens and on our soldiers. Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price.

Early on Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement saying that the rocket attacks would continue until Israel stops all scenes of terrorism and aggression in Jerusalem as well as the Al-Aqsa compound. The site is known in Judaism as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and is holy to both religions. The conflict comes at a sensitive time, toward the end of Ramadan for Muslims, and as Israel celebrated Jerusalem Day.
Lee Eun-jin, Arirang News.

#Israel #Palestine #Jerusalem