The minor clashes between Palestinians and hardline Jews and Israeli police in Jerusalem over the past few weeks turned into a dangerous fight on Monday.
Armed Palestinian groups fired rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Monday after Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, injuring more than 300 Palestinians with batons, tear gas and rubber bullets.
In retaliation, Israel has launched airstrikes on Gaza, and so far at least 25 Palestinians have been killed – including nine children.
The Israeli military says a rocket fired from Gaza destroyed two homes in the southern city of Ashkelon. About 20 people were injured.
It is noteworthy that this is the first time since 2014 that rockets have been fired at Jerusalem from Gaza. Several rockets landed on the outskirts of the city – although no casualties were reported.
Harinder Mishra, a Jerusalem journalist, says sirens have sounded several times to warn people in Jerusalem for the first time in seven years.
“The situation in the city of Jerusalem is tense. Traffic between the east and west of the city has been cut off. Lots of police at intersections and outside sensitive religious sites. Tensions are running high in Jerusalem after many years.”
Israel has taken the rocket attack on Jerusalem very seriously. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas has crossed the “red line” and must be punished. Soon after, the Israeli bombing of Gaza began.
According to various Israeli media reports, the Israeli Defense Ministry has approved a proposal to deploy 5,000 reserve troops.
The United States, Europe and the United Nations have expressed concern over the new conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It is learned that the process of mediation has also started.
Egypt and the United Nations have contacted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, according to Reuters, citing reliable Palestinian sources in Gaza.
Why this sudden conflict?
But why did this fight-violence break out anew in Kovid Pandemic?
The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen in the Middle East says the conflict, which has been at the root of decades of conflict between the two sides, is still unresolved.
“Jerusalem is at the center of this conflict,” he said. The new round of protests began with the police crackdown during Ramadan and a controversial move to oust some Palestinian families through the courts … but it could have started for other reasons. ”
The controversial decision to evict four Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah, an Arab-dominated area of East Jerusalem, has sparked outrage among Palestinians over the past few weeks.
The land on which Sheikh Zara has been occupied by the four Palestinian families for nearly 70 years is suddenly claimed by some extremist Jews. The Jerusalem city authorities and a lower court in the city agreed.
That is where the anger of the Palestinians began.
Doubts have long been raised among Palestinians that Israeli right-wingers are determined to evict them from Jerusalem by deception, and that the decision to evict the four families from Sheikh Zarah is part of that plan.
Sheikh Zarah and various places in the Old Jerusalem area have been the scene of sporadic clashes with Palestinian teenagers over the past few weeks, with Lehaba and members of some more radical Jewish organizations.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of Ramadan, the situation became more murky when the police imposed some restrictions on the Palestinians in Jerusalem.
For example, many Palestinians have been breaking their fast in the evening at the Damascus Gate in the old city during Ramadan for a long time. This time the Israeli police banned it – which caused outrage.
Adding to that is the excitement over the ‘Jerusalem Day’ parade of hardline Jews.
The Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war with the Arabs is celebrated every year by the Israeli right. On May 10 each year, thousands of Jews march through the Palestinian territories of East Jerusalem.
This year the day accidentally fell inside the rosary. The Palestinians wanted the route of the procession to be changed this time. But neither the Israeli police nor the city authorities listened, which angered the Palestinians.
However, a last-minute decision on Monday barred the procession from entering the Palestinian territories.
Link to Israeli politics
The Israeli police raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday morning, followed by rockets fired at Gaza targeting Israel that night and the escalation of the conflict after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza – have not been seen since 2016.
Journalist Harinder Mishra says the complete stagnation in peace talks over the years and the economic pressure that many people have faced due to the Kovid pandemic has also created anger and frustration among many people, which, he said, has increased the risk of conflict.
Israel’s domestic politics are also working behind the conflict, he said. Mixed.
For the past two years, no party has won a single majority in Israeli elections. After the last election, Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government with the help of his partner, but the president gave the opportunity to Yar Lapid, the leader of the opposition Yes Audit party, to form a government.
Harinder Mishra said, “If we want to form a government, we need the support of the Arab parties.” Lapid. He was trying to do that. Now that the events in Jerusalem, the eviction of Palestinian families, the Arab parties are no longer willing to talk. After Monday, Mr. Lapid and his current allies will now have no choice but to support the government and the army. ”
As a result, the formation of the coalition government. Lapid’s attempt is at risk. So, Harinder Mishra thinks that Mr. Netanyahu will definitely get the political benefit of this ongoing conflict.
Now under the pressure of the situation. If Lapid fails to form an alliance, there is a possibility of another round of elections in Israel. And the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians may help Mr. Netanyahu in that election.