Israel closes Erez crossing after new rocket attacks

Israel has announced that it will close its only border crossing with the Gaza Strip, the Erez crossing, in response to new rockets fired at Israel from the enclave. These attacks are part of a succession of aggressions that have been taking place throughout the week, contributing to a worrying escalation of violence that further entrenches a conflict that is now in its fourth decade.

These attacks have been preceded by new confrontations between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities in the Esplanade of the Mosques. In the last month, coinciding with the celebration of Ramadan and Passover, as well as Christianity, tensions between Israeli police and Palestinians in Jerusalem have flared to the point of violent attacks that have left dozens injured and arrests.

In this vein, the unrest has raised international alarm bells just a year after similar violence sparked an approximately 11-day military confrontation between Israel and the Hamas group. The Israeli Defence Ministry's unit responsible for Palestinian civil affairs (COGAT) said: "Following rockets fired last night from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, it has been decided that no Gazan traders and workers will be allowed to cross into Israel through the Erez crossing on Sunday.

The rockets were reportedly fired early this morning from the Gaza Strip and were aimed at southern Israel. One of them managed to hit Israeli territory and another failed to reach its destination, crashing near a residential building in northern Gaza. 

A third rocket was fired at Israel this morning. Despite these offensives, the Israeli army has not responded, changing the rhetoric they were employing with previous attacks in an attempt to try to avoid violence, although the closure of the Erez crossing is a severe economic blow to Gazans. According to COGAT, "the reopening of the crossing will be decided according to an assessment of the security situation".

Moreover, this new action by Tel Aviv comes after the Arab Ministerial Committee met in Jordan to condemn the aggressions perpetrated by the Israeli authorities against Muslims coming to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque. They urged the US to take action, arguing that these attacks "threaten to start a cycle of violence that threatens security and stability in the region and the world". 

At least 200 people have been injured as a result of the confrontations. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 57 people were injured on Friday after police stormed the compound in Jerusalem's Old City. Upon their arrival, dozens of Palestinians began throwing stones towards the Western Wall, the holiest place for Jewish prayer.

This escalation of violence has also led to condemnation by the United Nations, which has already demanded an investigation into the actions of the Israeli authorities. This has been confirmed by the spokesperson of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, who has declared that "the use of force by the Israeli police, which has led to widespread injuries among worshippers and staff in and around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, must be investigated promptly, impartially, independently and transparently".