A new exacerbation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict began with the conflict in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel and Palestine, which is under Israeli control. The eviction of several Arab families has begun near the Temple Mount and in the Sheikh Jarrah quarter by an Israeli court.

The use of force by the Israeli police led to riots and clashes. Several hundred people were injured. The police used tear gas and rubber bullets, and the Arabs responded by throwing stones and firecrackers.

The clashes continued for over a week and peaked on May 7-8. On May 10, Hamas militants began another shelling of Israeli territories. Such missile launches occur regularly in the region – for example, attacks were carried out at the end of March, April 24, April 26. Israel each time retaliates against militant targets in Arab territories.

Massive attack on Tel Aviv

On the evening of May 11, Hamas began shelling again. However, this time it is not about launching several separate missiles, but about a massive attack. The group reported that a total of 137 shells were launched in the direction of Tel Aviv. The Times of Israel calls the shelling the largest in the history of the city.

Later, Hamas announced a new rocket attack on Israel, during which 100 rockets were fired towards the Israeli city of Beer Sheva, and about 110 rockets towards Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport.

Air raid sirens sounded in the city, people began to hide in shelters. The footage from Tel Aviv shows that almost the entire sky is filled with traces of launched shells and explosions of anti-missiles.

The Iron Dome missile defense system was able to intercept some of the shells, but some reached the target and began to explode in residential areas. In Holon, a Tel Aviv suburb, a rocket exploded alongside a group of eyewitnesses filming the attack.

All flights from Ben Gurion airport were temporarily suspended; evacuation began from the airport building, for some time all flights to Tel Aviv airport were redirected to Cyprus. In total, the operation of the airport was stopped for more than an hour.

One of the rockets hit a residential building in Ashkelon, killing two women. Another explosion occurred at the school, but there were no students there at that moment, no one was injured.

In the center of Holon, a rocket hit a passenger bus; it burned down. No fatalities, four people were injured. Another woman died in Rishon LeZion, a city 7 km from Tel Aviv.

Near Ashkelon, as a result of shelling, a tank with oil products related to the infrastructure of the Trans-Israel pipeline caught fire.

The Israel Defense Forces said they were launching attacks on militant depots in the Gaza Strip. The military noted that some weapons depots are located in residential buildings. “Hamas wants to put you at risk, we urge you to stay away from Hamas weapon sites and stay in safe places. Our target is only terrorists, ” the Army said in a statement.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel’s air strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 21 people. There are children among the victims, the ministry claims, reports Al Jazeera TV channel.

In the Israeli city of Lod, a state of emergency has been declared due to clashes between the Arab and Jewish populations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. He promised that border battalions from Judea and Samaria would be brought into the city. Earlier, the mayor of Lod announced a complete loss of control over the city due to riots.

The Israeli army announced the elimination of two high-ranking members of the Hamas military intelligence in airstrikes.

Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad will pay a high price for rocket attacks on Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu said. “They will pay with their own lives,” the Prime Minister promised and said that the Israeli army continues its military operation against the aggressor.

International reaction

The European Union’s foreign policy service said the violence in the West Bank must end immediately. “Rocket attacks on civilians in Israel from the Gaza Strip are absolutely unacceptable and lead to escalation,” the EU said.

The US State Department expressed concern about the situation. The Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks from both Israel and the Gaza Strip. However, Washington noted that they recognize the right of the Jewish state to defend its territory.

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks on civilians in the conflict zone and called on the parties to show restraint. Moscow noted the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty, which consolidates the status quo in relation to the Holy Places in Jerusalem, and stressed the inadmissibility of further escalation of the situation.

Turkey condemned Israel’s actions. “Ankara strongly condemns the strikes on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of a large number of innocent people. We express our condolences to all the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded, ”the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Ankara called Jerusalem’s policy provocative and aggressive.