For the last three days, unrest has shaken the holy city, which features the holiest sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Hamas launched a rocket assault on the capital in the current escalation of tensions, according to a published report in Reuters.
So far, on Monday, Hamas claimed to have fired over 100 missiles at Israel. The most recent volley of rockets was aimed at Ashkelon, a city along the Gaza Strip's northern boundary.
Israel's Defense Forces said and confirmed that at least seven of the more than 150 missiles fired by the terrorist group Hamas were aimed at Jerusalem, according to a recently published article in Yahoo News.
Tension Escalates at Jerusalem, Israel Released A Strong Warning
In an ABC NEWS on MSN report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the launch of rockets from Gaza into Jerusalem crossed a line, which escalated the tensions between the two nations.
In an official statement released by Israel's Prime Minister's Office, it said that they will respond with great force and will not tolerate attacks on the territory. The Prime Minister also said, "Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price."
The Israel Defense Forces also released a statement saying, "In response to continuous rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, over the past few hours, the IDF struck a number of terror targets belonging to the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip."
Death Toll in the Air Strike Attack
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 20 people were killed in the IDF attack, including nine children, and at least 65 were injured. The rocket attacks from Gaza came in reaction to clashes earlier on Monday between Palestinians protesting building evictions and Israeli police near Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, recognized as Islam's third holiest site and situated on the Temple Mount.
According to the Israeli Police authorities, thousands of worshippers began to disturb the order at the end of the prayer on the Temple Mount. They also confirmed that six Israeli policemen got injured.
The US Condemns the Attack
During a press conference on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced the attacks. They "need to stop immediately," he said, according to US State Department spokesman Ned Price. According to the State Department, while the US has called for a de-escalation of violence, there is still a chance that the attacks will continue.
He also said, "I don't want to speak to what would happen in the absence of de-escalation, but of course the possibility of additional violence, of extended violence is something we're concerned about," according to a published article in DW.
Further, Emanuele Giaufret, the EU Ambassador to Israel, has also stated that escalating tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are "extremely concerning."
Related Article: Syria Launches Missile Towards Israel, IDF Responds With Airstrikes
