The Israeli navy carried out Thursday a number of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in response to alleged rocket fires from the blockaded Palestinian territory.
The violence comes a day after the deadliest Israeli raid within the occupied West Bank in almost 20 years.
Eleven Palestinians, together with a 16-year-old, had been killed and greater than 80 wounded by gunfire Wednesday when Israeli troops raided the flashpoint West Bank metropolis of Nablus, drawing worldwide appeals for calm.
Top Palestinian official Hussein al Sheikh described the raid as a “massacre” and referred to as for “international protection for our people.”
Before daybreak on Thursday, Palestinian armed teams reportedly hit again firing six rockets from Gaza into Israel.
The Israeli military stated it managed to intercept 5 of them, whereas the sixth struck an uninhabited space.
Palestinian armed group Islamic Jihad claimed accountability for the rockets after it referred to as on “resistance forces” to answer the “major crime” in Nablus.
Two hours later, the Israeli navy carried out airstrikes on a number of targets in Gaza, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky.
The missiles focused “a weapons factory” and a “military camp,” each run by Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas, the military stated in an announcement.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres appealed for calm, warning that tensions within the West Bank had reached their most harmful stage in years.
“Our immediate priority must be to prevent further escalation, reduce tensions and restore calm,” the U.N. chief stated.
“The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is at its most combustible in years,” he added, pointing to “sky-high” tensions and the stalled peace course of.
The Israeli military stated Wednesday’s raid had focused a “hideout apartment” utilized by alleged militants accused of shootings within the West Bank.
It stated one of many needed suspects was “neutralized,” together with two others on the property who had opened fireplace on troops.
The suspects and Israeli forces “exchanged fire … there were also rockets that were fired on the house” by the military, spokesman Richard Hecht informed journalists.
Rocks, explosive gadgets and Molotov cocktails had been hurled on the troops, the military stated, including that nonetheless, they suffered no casualties.
The Palestinian well being ministry stated these killed “as a result of the occupation’s aggression on Nablus” had been aged between 16 and 72.
Hours after the raid, the ministry introduced the demise of a 66-year-old man from teargas inhalation.
Wednesday’s demise toll was the very best because the second Palestinian intifada, or rebellion, led to 2005, surpassing that of an Israeli raid final month in Jenin, one other flashpoint metropolis within the West Bank.
‘Explosions and gunfire’
Palestinian well being officers stated 82 folks had been admitted to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
Mostafa Shaheen, a Nablus resident, stated “soldiers … besieged the whole area” at round 9:30 a.m. (7:30 a.m. GMT).
“We kept hearing the explosions and gunfire,” he informed AFP.
The wounded embrace Palestine TV journalist Mohammed al Khatib, who was shot within the hand, his colleague informed AFP.
The Islamic Jihad armed group stated considered one of its commanders was killed “in a heroic battle.”
The Lions’ Den, an area armed group based mostly in Nablus, stated six of these killed had been members of assorted Palestinian factions.
Hailing the military’s “courage,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted that Israel’s “long arm” would attain “any terrorist.”
An enormous crowd of mourners, together with armed males, gathered in Nablus and the close by Balata refugee camp within the afternoon for the funerals of 10 of these killed, AFP correspondents reported.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated its medics had handled 250 circumstances of tear fuel inhalation and dozens of gunshot wounds.
‘Spiralling violence’
State Department spokesman Ned Price stated Washington was “extremely concerned by the levels of violence,” whereas EU overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell stated the European Union was “deeply alarmed by the spiraling violence in the West Bank.”
Borrell referred to as on “all parties” to work in the direction of “restoring calm and … avoid further loss of life.”
Condemning the acts of violence dedicated in opposition to civilians, France reiterated Israel’s obligation to respect worldwide humanitarian legislation and use proportionate power.
Neighboring Jordan stated it could “work intensely with all parties to achieve” calm.
Since the beginning of this yr, the Israeli-Palestinian battle has claimed the lives of 60 Palestinian adults and youngsters, together with armed attackers and civilians.
Nine Israeli civilians, together with three youngsters, a police officer and one Ukrainian civilian have been killed over the identical interval, in keeping with an AFP tally based mostly on official sources from either side.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and individually with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, calling on each to “restore calm.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank because the Six-Day War of 1967.
Last yr was the deadliest yr within the territory because the United Nations began monitoring casualties in 2005.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
