'Wave Of Violence' Sweeping Israel, Jordan Slams Israel - Urges World Intervention

Wave of violence sweeping Israel is 'terrorism,' US says - Israel News

In the past 10 days, four Israelis have been shot or stabbed to death in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, and at least a dozen have been wounded by Palestinians wielding knives or screwdrivers in stabbings in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities.

Three Palestinians have also been killed, and scores wounded in clashes with Israeli security forces during stone-throwing demonstrations in East Jerusalem and across the West Bank, leading to talk of a third Palestinian uprising, or intifada.

Palestinian anger is largely focused on events at the al-Aksa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City and fears that Israel is trying to change the status quo at the holy site, revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied wanting to change conditions under which Jews are allowed to visit the site but bans non-Muslim prayer, but his assurances have done little to quell Palestinian anger.

A new intifada would further complicate efforts by world leaders to resolve conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and there is little appetite to re-engage in peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians after many failures in the past.

The chances of peace talks resuming before US President Barack Obama's term ends appear slim.

Israel and the Palestinians slide deeper into conflict

The events of the last few days show a deeply alarming trend: Three or more Palestinians, mostly East Jerusalemites, are daily attacking Israelis — knowing that they are likely to die in the attempt. These are a kind of suicide attacks. They are far less devastating than the bus and restaurant and market bombings of the Second Intifada, but they are motivated by the assailants’ desire to become martyrs. The upsurge of these kinds of attacks is all the more disquieting given that the overwhelming majority of them are not organized by a terror group or known orchestrator, but rather are carried out by “lone wolf” terrorists.

This simply didn’t happen at this kind of rate during the Second Intifada. At its height, in the spring of 2002, that strategic onslaught of terrorism was producing horrific suicide bombings every few days. But today, we have entered an almost surreal reality of attack after attack every day, mostly carried out by young Palestinians (mostly, but not only male) with no known previous involvement in terrorism, willing to kill and to die “for Jerusalem” and “for al-Aqsa.”

Even without these kinds of bombings, the relentless daily attacks are sowing fear and deep disquiet among Israelis. This is a kind of assault not previously encountered. The closest precedent was a rash of knifings in 1990, on a much smaller scale, also motivated by concern for ostensible threats to the al-Aqsa Mosque.

There was also talk of encouraging a greater Jordanian role regarding the contested holy site, specifically for King Abdullah to reassert a more direct role in the oversight of the Muslim holy places there. Such a move, it was thought, might constitute another de-escalating step, to follow up on Netanyahu’s ban on MKs and ministers, Jewish and Muslim, from visiting the site.

Abbas’s insistent refusal to condemn the terror attacks is telling. In the past, he did condemn all attacks and bloodshed. This time, he has been silent, and his Fatah colleagues have been hailing and praising the attacks.

At least 6 Palestinians die in clash with IDF along Gaza border

At least six Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were killed and 19 hurt when IDF soldiers opened fire on a crowd of protesters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad as they approached the border fence with Israel on Friday, Gaza medics said.

One of those killed was a 15-year-old boy, officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said.

The incident began with some 200 Palestinians approaching the security fence in northern Gaza, closest to Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

“They began throwing stones and rolling burning tires at Israeli forces,” an Israeli army spokesperson said. She told the Palestinian news agency Ma’an that IDF forces responded with live fire towards the “main instigators,” and confirmed five direct hits.

The troops, who remained on the Israeli side of the border, opened fire at the protesters, who were approximately 150 feet (50 meters) away, in order to break up the protest and push them from the fence, she said.

“Gaza will fulfill its role in the Jerusalem intifada and it is more than ready for confrontation,” Ismail Haniyeh said during a sermon for weekly Muslim prayers at a mosque in Gaza City.

“We are calling for the strengthening and increasing of the intifada… It is the only path that will lead to liberation,” he said.

Before Friday, during the days of unrest in Israel and the West Bank, Gaza had remained relatively quiet. However, Hamas had urged Gazans to join a Hamas-sponsored mass protest after Friday prayers in solidarity with the struggle by West Bank Palestinians against Israel and to “defend al-Aqsa.”

Hamas leaders have praised the perpetrators of terror attacks in recent days, and increasingly urged West Bank Palestinians to carry out attacks.

Jordan slams Israel for Palestinian deaths, urges world intervention

Jordan on Friday issued a strong condemnation over the deaths of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli security forces in the ongoing violence, branding it a violation of human rights and urging international intervention.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani expressed outrage at the killing and wounding of many Palestinians at the hands of what he called “ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,” the Jordanian news agency Petra reported.

Momani said that the killing of Palestinian citizens was one in a series of Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people. He attributed the violence to “the occupying power in the West Bank and Gaza,” Israel Radio reported.

The minister, who also serves as government spokesman, called on the international community to take immediate steps to force Israel to put an end to its aggression. He also warned of the repercussions of continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, Petra said.

Jordan has issued several vehement condemnations of Israel in recent weeks, with King Abdullah telling the UN General Assembly last month that his country “rejects threats to the holy places and the Arab character of this holy city [of Jerusalem].”

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah also demanded international intervention on Friday, Israel Radio said, calling on the United Nations to provide protection for the Palestinians. Speaking to a local news website, Hamdallah maintained that the Palestinians had the right to defend themselves, both on their land and at their holy places.

Rocket from Gaza hits southern Israel

Air raid sirens sounded in southern Israeli communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip after midnight on Saturday, following a day of deadly clashes between IDF troops and Palestinians along the border.

Rocket warnings were heard in the communities of Nir Yitzhak, Holit and Talmei Yosef.

The IDF said one rocket exploded in the Eshkol region of southern Israel, which borders the Gaza Strip and Egypt. No injuries or damage were reported. Troops were on site searching for the projectile.

A Gaza-based jihadist group claiming affiliation with the Islamic State organization claimed responsibility for the attack shortly afterwards.