Jerusalem tension triggers Gaza-Israel fire exchange
Source: The Associated Press
By FARES AKRAM and JOSEF FEDERMAN
10 minutes ago
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired some three dozen rockets into Israel overnight Saturday, while the Israeli military struck back at targets operated by the ruling Hamas group. The exchange came as tensions in Jerusalem spilled over into the worst round of cross-border violence in months.
The barrage of rocket fire came as hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli police in east Jerusalem. The clashes, in which at least four police and six protesters were injured, have become a nightly occurrence throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and show no signs of stopping.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he held talks with top security officials about Gaza and Jerusalem. He said he instructed officials to be ready for ‘every scenario’ in Gaza. In Jerusalem, he said Israel would guarantee ‘freedom of worship’ for everyone, and he appealed for calm. “We ask now for people to obey the law and I call for a calming of tempers on all sides.”
The U.N. envoy to the region, Tor Wennesland, condemned the violence and said the United Nations was working with all sides to restore calm.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-strip-middle-east-religion-jerusalem-e37ec6fe6f28f254cd617e9b4a206d3e