Gaza, rockets and bombs: the conflict continues to the bitter end. Israel: “Hamas senior commanders eliminated”. Di Maio: “We need moderation. Missile launch unacceptable”

It is now open war between Israel and the militias of Hamas he was born in Islamic Jihad operating in the Gaza Strip. In 36 hours of conflict, they were launched from the enclave over a thousand rockets to Ashkelon, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas of the Jewish state, in an unprecedented offensive in recent years. On the other hand, while the police forces continue to crack down on the protests of Palestinian inhabitants of Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem where other expropriations are planned in favor of Israeli settlers, the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu has carried out at least 500 attacks on the Strip, also demolishing two buildings in the city center, and promises not to stop. The result of this new escalation of Israeli-Palestinian blood are already dozens of victims: 56 Palestinians killed in Gaza, including 14 children and 5 women, and more than 300 people injured, while the Israeli counterpart has six victims. The Foreign Minister also intervenes in the international debate, Luigi Di Maio, reiterating “profound concern for the spiral of attacks and violence that is being generated”, now “it is a priority to avoid the loss of further human lives and for this reason we strongly urge all parties to undertake immediately de-escalation measures and to stick to maximum moderation “. But he specifies that he “firmly condemns the rocket launches from Gaza. I want to say it very clearly, indiscriminate rocket firing is unacceptable in all circumstances and must therefore cease “. Also there Germany, with the government spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, “Condemns” the rocket attacks on Israeli cities: “Israel has the right to defend itself from these attacks, ”he said, this“ violence has no justification ”and affects Jewish citizens as well as Muslims. Seibert defined those that have been going on for two days “terrorist attacks”.

Very high tension also in Lod, where yesterday an Israeli Arab was killed during the protests: the Israeli president Reuven Rivlin denounced what he has come to define the “Pogrom of Lod” by “a crowd of bloodthirsty and exalted Arabs”, condemning “the shameful silence of the Arab leadership on these riots” and “support for terrorism”. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have made it known that they have eliminated “simultaneously” senior Hamas commanders a Gaza e Khan yunis, in the north of the Strip. Faced with the crisis, the Security Council of the UN has called a session of emergency where a closed door report on the situation will be presented.

The attacks – The number of victims is growing by the hour. The latest is a 16-year-old boy, Rashid Abu Arreh, fatally shot by Israeli soldiers today during incidents in Tubas (West Bank). 85% of the rockets launched by Hamas was intercepted, Israeli sources say, while about 200 exploded inside Strip, and the Islamic movement also tried to hit the airport Ben Gurion of Tel Aviv. Instead, 15 rockets were launched in the direction of Dimona, where the Israeli nuclear power plant is also located, according to the Hamas communication.

In the morning the tension was further aggravated when an anti-tank rocket fired from Gaza hit an Israeli vehicle near the demarcation line, causing one death and two serious injuries. Nearby the inhabitants of the Kibbutz Netiv a It will roast have been ordered to enter the shelters. Other attacks were reported in the south of Israel, where schools remain closed, while rail traffic to Ashkelon and the south of the country is interrupted. In response, the army carried out over 500 attacks on personnel, armaments and infrastructure of Hamas e Islamic Jihad in the Strip, killing two other military leaders. It is, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), of Hassan Kaogi |, head of the military intelligence security department of Hamas, and his deputy, Wail Issa, head of the counterintelligence department of military intelligence. To these, Israel later said, are also added the commander of the Gaza City Brigade, Bassem Issa, the chief of cyber apparatus and missile refinement, Jamal tahaleh, and the person in charge of arms production, Jamal Zabadeh. Besides they were also killed Hazem Khatib, another head of arms production, Sami Radwan, of the technical department of military intelligence, e Walid Shemali, another gun manufacturer. “Tahale – they explain – is the right arm of Mohammed Deif (the military commander of Hamas, ed) and a leading figure in the strengthening of Hamas. Bassem Issa is Hamas’ Combat Operations Coordinator. Its elimination will significantly affect the behavior of the Gaza City Brigade and the Hamas armament project ”.

I soldiers Israelis they shot and killed a Palestinian boy identified as Hussein Atiyyeh Titi, 26, during a raid on the refugee camp of Flush, south of the city of Hebron, in West Bank southern. The Israeli counter-offensive also hit a 12-storey building in Gaza, inside which there were residential apartments, medical companies and a dental clinic, but for Israeli forces it housed the intelligence offices of Hamas and the command of the group responsible for planning attacks on Israeli targets in the occupied West Bank. Immediately after the bombing, Hamas announced that he would resume his attacks and aimed 100 rockets at the Israeli city of Beer-Sheva. And late at night he said he fired a barrage of 130 rockets towards Tel Aviv in response to the skyscraper’s destruction.

Clashes also in Jerusalem – New riots occurred this morning in Esplanade of Mosques of Jerusalem, during the morning prayers. Seven Palestinians were arrested by the police after a heavy stone throwing against the agents. These incidents occurred on the eve of theEid al-Fitr, the feast that concludes the fast of Ramadan. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the Israeli army is arresting local Hamas leaders in the last hours. Raids took place, according to the media, a Jenin it’s at Tubas in an Israeli attempt to prevent Palestinian violence from spreading to the West Bank as well. In the two cities, army operations were met with opposition from the local population.

UN emergency meeting – The escalation of the last 48 hours will lead to an emergency session today United Nations Security Council requested by several countries, including China, Tunisia, Norway, France, Estonia, Ireland. During the meeting, the UN special envoy for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, will report behind closed doors on the situation. Today’s summit comes after a previous meeting on Monday Security Council he had failed to reach agreement on a joint declaration. Yesterday the White House condemned the attacks Hamas against Israel and stressed that Joe Biden he asked his officials to send both Israelis and Palestinians “a clear message aimed at bringing back the escalation”. The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court intervened on the clashes Fatou Bensouda, that’s on Twitter wrote: “I note with deep concern the escalation of violence in West Bank, including Jerusalem Is, as well as in and around Gaza, and the possible commission of crimes under the Rome Statute“.

The reasons for the escalation – The tensions began gradually a month ago, with the onset of Ramadan, the month of Islamic fasting. A Jerusalem Palestinian youth attacked bystanders orthodox isolated and in a short time nationalists Jews they replied by attacking on the street Palestinians isolated. For a few nights the streets of Jerusalem they have become the scene of widespread violence. At the center of the tensions, the Damascus gate, one of the meeting places of Palestinian youth for the Ramadan. This year the police have instead deployed barriers, for reasons of public order.

To throw more fuel on the fire were the tensions a Sheikh Jarrah, a ward of Jerusalem east where for years the presence of Jewish families has grown around the tomb of an ancient rabbi. The eviction of some families Palestinians living in buildings whose ownership is claimed by a Jewish association has become imminent and scuffles have multiplied on the ground between Israelis and Palestinians.

Hand in hand with tensions a Jerusalem, there have been episodes of violence in West Bank. At Nablus the pupil of a rabbinical college was killed by a Palestinian bomber, who was captured a few days later. TO Jenin two Palestinian militiamen, who were preparing to conduct an attack on Jerusalem, were intercepted by the border guard and shot to death.

Then came the riots on the esplanade of the mosques on the occasion of the Laylat al-Khader, the ‘Night of Destiny’ which is the most solemn anniversary before Eid al-Fitr. About 200 Palestinians were injured, or bruised. Coinciding with the end of Ramadan, Israel celebrated today the Jerusalem Day with which it celebrates the reunification of the city which took place after the Six Day War (1967). To calm the mood, the police banned the entry of religious Jews into the Esplanade (which for Jews is the Temple Mount) and prevented a crowd of nationalists, the ‘March of the Flags’, from reaching the Old City.

–