Israeli air-strikes in Syria and the violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a center of peace and stability in the Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM — Israel conducted rare airstrikes in Lebanon on Friday, a sharp escalation that sparked fears of a broader conflict after militants fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Israel also continued bombarding the Gaza Strip.
A photographer for the Associated Press said missiles struck an open field close to a Palestinian refugee camp. A small bridge and a power transformer were damaged in the town of Maaliya, on the outskirts of the Palestinian camp. Several sheep were killed and residents of the town, including Syrian refugees, reported minor injuries.
‘”I was sleeping and suddenly I couldn’t feel anything except the impact,” said Qalili resident Majid Abdelsattar. The strikes, he said, damaged his parents’ house and the family’s citrus orchard. The military said it found a new rocket launchr after dismantling others the day before.
On Friday, violence again broke out at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israeli police used batons to disburse a crowd of Palestinians who chanted Hamas slogans while attempting to enter the site before dawn prayers on Friday. An hour later, according to videos, people leaving the prayers staged a vast protest on the limestone courtyard, with Palestinians raising their fists and shouting in support of Hamas rocket fire, and Israeli police forced their way into the compound.
Police did not comment on the earlier beatings, but said that security forces entered the holy compound after prayers in response to “masked suspects” who threw rocks at officers.
For the previous two nights, Palestinians have barricaded themselves in the mosque with stones and firecrackers. Israeli police have fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to evict the worshippers. On Tuesday, Israeli police arrested over 400 people, causing rage in Arab towns of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said it was clear that both sides wanted to avoid a full-blown conflict. “Quiet will be answered with quiet,” Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a spokesman for the Israeli military told reporters early Friday. But, he added, “All our eyes are now on Jerusalem.”
The military of Israel said it slammed Gaza with more airstrikes on Friday, hitting 10 targets that it described as tunnel infrastructure, along with weapons production and development sites. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza, but the Palestinian Health Ministry said that one of the strikes caused some damage to a children’s hospital in Gaza City.
“This is not the first time that health facilities have been targeted, and it is unacceptable,” the ministry said of the damage to Al Dorra Pediatric Hospital.
Israel’s response to the Arab-Israeli War on the Gaza Strip has been tense for the past few days, and Israel may be more concerned about the future
After the Security Cabinet met late Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s response would result in a heavy price from the enemies.
The Lebanon border has been tense over the past few weeks as Israel appears to have stepped up its shadow war against targets in Syria, a close ally of Iran.
In Jerusalem, even as calm returned to at Al-Aqsa a few hours after the burst of violence, the situation remained tense ahead of midday Friday prayers.
One of the jets flew into the southern part of the country, according to the Israel Defense Forces. According to a post on the social networking site, the IDF did not need to intercept the rockets.
Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed the narrow strip of land in 1981. The Golan Heights are considered occupied territory under international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
In a separate development on Saturday night, the IDF killed a 20-year-old Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank town of Azzoun, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health.
A group of people tossed an explosion device towards soldiers at the town of Azzun. Soldiers responded by using live bullets towards them, the statement said. No IDF soldiers were injured, according to the statement.
On Friday, one person was killed and seven others were injured by a car-ramming attack. A predominantly Arab city east of Tel Aviv is where the car was driven by a 45-year-old man.
The Italian victim was identified by Israeli and Italian authorities as Alessandro Parini. Italian media said he was a 35-year-old lawyer. Israeli authorities described the incident as a “terror attack.”