Israel intercepts rockets fired from Gaza Strip for second night in a row

Palestinian terrorists launched four rockets – two of which failed – from Gaza Strip into Israel on Sunday which set off anti-aircraft alarms in Israeli towns near the enclave on the second night followed by such gunfire, after tension has grown again these days in Jerusalem and the region.

“Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip”, the IDF said in a statement, adding that one of them “was intercepted” by the anti-aircraft system Iron Dome.

According to local media, the other rocket probably hit an uninhabited area and did not cause any injury or material damage.

Hours later, a military spokesperson detailed that there was a second series of launches in which two more projectiles were fired, although these have failed and fall under the Gaza Strip itself.

The incidents come shortly after a rocket was fired last night that struck an uninhabited Israeli area, which was responded to by an Israeli bombardment in retaliation against a target of the Hamas terror group. This group controls Gaza, and Israel holds him responsible for any aggression emanating from the enclave.

To this has recently been added the resumption of the launching of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip, which has now sparked numerous fire attempts in neighboring Israeli territory.

The situation has led to more severe retaliatory measures by the Israeli authorities, who this afternoon completely closed the Gaza fishing zone in response to the recent attacks. The closure “will take effect immediately and will last until further notice”announced COGAT, the Israeli military body that handles civil affairs in the Palestinian territories.

“The decision was taken after the firing” of a rocket last night by Palestinian militias in the enclave, and for “the continued launching of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip into the State of Israel, which constitutes a violation of Israeli sovereignty. “, Specified the same organization in a statement.

This is all part of a rise in tensions since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which has its epicenter in Jerusalem, where there has been a further escalation of tension in recent days, with clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces that extended by the esplanade of the mosques or the old city, located in the occupied eastern part of the city.

Clashes over the weekend left more than 300 injured, although so far there have been no deaths.

The events of the last month in Jerusalem also had a strong impact on the West Bank and Gaza. On the night of April 23 to 24, coinciding with another day of particular tension in the holy city due to the blocking of the Damascus Gate – the main entrance to its fortified part -, Gaza militias fired 36 rockets from the enclave in support of Palestinian protests.

The tension was further escalated this week by the possible eviction of Palestinian families to an area in the east of the city, annexed by Israel, where it applies its civil laws.

All of this could lead to a new peak on Monday, when an annual march of ultra-nationalist young Jews through the Old City is scheduled on Jerusalem Day. On this date, the Israelis commemorate what they consider to be the reunification of the city during the Six Day War of 1967, which for the Palestinians was the beginning of the occupation.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, today warned that he “will not allow violent protests” in Jerusalem.

Members of the Middle East Quartet (the UN, EU, US and Russia) expressed “deep concern” over the violence in Jerusalem on Saturday. The group’s envoys “express their deep concern over the daily clashes in East Jerusalem, in particular clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces,” the quartet said in a statement.

“We are alarmed by the provocative statements by some political groups, as well as the launching of rockets and the resumption of incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel, and the attacks on Palestinian farmland in the West Bank,” they said. And they concluded: “We call on the Israeli authorities to act with restraint and to avoid measures that would further aggravate the situation during this period of Muslim holy days.”

With information from EFE

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