As America, the European Union and other countries called for de-escalation, Israel mobilised troops to the border with Gaza
THE DRUMS of war are beating again in Israel and Gaza. Over the past two days Palestinian militants in the territory have fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. Israel, in turn, has carried out hundreds of air strikes against targets in Gaza associated with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the territory, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant faction.
So it was no surprise when the decision by Israel’s inexperienced police chief to fence off the area “for security reasons” at the start of Ramadan last month led to clashes. The move was later reversed, but tensions remained high. Street battles between young Palestinians and Israeli police culminated in two big incidents in which the police entered the area around al-Aqsa, firing stun-grenades and rubber bullets. Hundreds were injured.
The Jewish settler organisations pursuing the evictions are connected to far-right groups that, under the banner of the “Religious Zionism” party, are represented in the Knesset and allied with Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister. They have taken to the streets in recent weeks, increasing the tension. On May 10th thousands of Jewish nationalists marched on “Jerusalem Day”—a holiday marking Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and other territories in the six-day war in 1967.
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