Israeli police gather next to an overturned car at the site of Friday’s attack in Tel Aviv, in which an Italian tourist was killed and several others injured.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images
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Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images
Israeli police gather next to an overturned car at the site of Friday’s attack in Tel Aviv, in which an Italian tourist was killed and several others injured.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images
Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest site for Muslims in Jerusalem, have triggered a surge in violence that has continued to escalate in recent days, drawing dragged several regional actors into a deadly dispute.
Police said they were working to clear the men who barricaded inside the complex midweek, throwing fireworks and rocks, while social media videos of the incursions showed officers. Israeli officials in riot gear chased and used batons to beat Palestinians inside the mosque. Palestinians gathered there overnight after an orthodox Jewish group on the sidelines announced a call to hold a Passover goat sacrifice at the sacred site, home to ancient Jewish temples from thousands of years ago. thousand years ago.
The other things physical violence images (Warning: Violent imagery depicted in the linked video) dozens of rockets fired from southern Lebanon and Gaza Strip at Israeli targets, respectively, Israeli retaliatory air strikes into both territories and a series of attacks followed Friday on civilians in the occupied West Bank and Tel Aviv, which left two Anglo-Israeli settlers and an Italian tourist dead. The militant group Hamas did not claim responsibility for both Friday’s attacks, but instead praise them as a valid retaliation for the previous behavior of the Israeli police.
On Saturday, Israel announced it would extend its closure order on Palestinians entering Israel from the West Bank, and suspend special entry permits for Palestinians in Gaza visiting Israel to pray during Ramadan and to work.
The escalating conflict in Israel and the occupied territories took place against the backdrop of religious celebrations — the Muslim month of Ramadan, the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter. governor — exacerbated animosity and fueled existing tensions between distinct communities.
At a time of maximum political pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced weeks of unrelenting criticism for his coalition government’s plans. undermine the country’s judicial system, protesters are continuing their weekly rally but have agreed to cancel the march against the proposed law. One protest leader told NPR that the decision was made because it was an “urgent time” for the national police force.
On Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were shot dead in a car as they traveled through the occupied West Bank. Their mother survived but was hospitalized after sustaining serious injuries.
Later that day, an Israeli citizen of Palestinian descent from a village near Tel Aviv rammed his car into a line of tourists walking along the city’s boardwalk, injuring several people and injuring several others. An Italian man was killed. Israeli police killed the driver after they said he reached for what looked like a gun – but they later admitted it was not a gun. His family denied that he intended to carry out any form of attack.
The behavior of Israeli police around the Al-Aqsa Mosque earlier this week was reminiscent of other previous incidents that have sparked larger conflicts in the region. In the eyes of many Palestinians, such attacks symbolize Israel’s growing expansion and intensifying occupation of predominantly Palestinian areas, with a hardline Jewish nationalist. Snake is currently serving as Israel’s security minister.
Mr Netanyahu also announced his government was mobilizing reserves for the country’s largely paramilitary border forces starting Sunday, to confront what he called “attacks”. terrorism”.
Daniel Estrin of NPR in Tel Aviv contributed reporting.
