Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed thousands of lives over several years, however, in recent days, a new series of clashes with epicenter in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, have left at least 71 dead, 65 of them Palestinians.
Various factors and mobilizations reopened the causes of the conflict that have recently led to bombings.
Thus, anti-aircraft alarms sounded this Monday for the first time since 2014 in Jerusalem due to rocket fire from Gaza, events that were applauded by Palestinians gathered at Damascus Gate, who gave an ultimatum to the Israeli police to release Palestinian detainees in the riots that recently occurred in one of Israel's major cities, including clashes in the esplanade of the mosques.
Shortly after the first rockets were fired, riots again gathered momentum in east Jerusalem, resulting in more than 100 arrests, while a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship was shot dead by a Jewish Israeli.
In the face of this, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged being in a fight that has spread to several fronts: Jerusalem, Gaza and other parts in the country.
Israel responded to the attacks, and the disaster progressed. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the death toll rose to 65, including 16 children, and more than 300 wounded, according to the Al Jazeera news network, while Israel's internal intelligence service, the Shin Bet, reported that a dozen Hamas militiamen were killed.
President Joseph Biden spoke Wednesday with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He condemned rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups, including against Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
He also conveyed his "unwavering support for Israel's security and for Israel's legitimate right to defend itself and its people while protecting civilians."
The White House reported in a statement, the U.S. president also conveyed America's encouragement of a path toward restoring sustainable calm, and shared his conviction that Jerusalem, a city of such importance to people of faith around the world, must be a place of peace.
Biden updated the prime minister on U.S. diplomatic engagement with countries in the region, including Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, as well as Palestinian officials.
The two leaders agreed to maintain close consultation between their teams, which has included continued engagement of their respective foreign ministers, defense ministers, defense chiefs and national security advisors, and to stay in personal contact in the coming days.
