New clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas predict further waves of violence

Israel and Gaza are once again experiencing a significant escalation of violence. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have carried out a series of air strikes in Gaza in response to rocket and anti-aircraft missile fire reportedly launched from Hamas-run enclaves.

These strikes have become the most far-reaching since the offensives launched in May 2021, when ongoing evictions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood brought Palestinians and Israelis face to face in a new wave of violence.

The protests were joined by a series of rocket fire from Gaza that had targeted areas of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It was at this point that Israel's Iron Dome air defence system became known and was able to effectively intercept Hamas rockets.

In this new wave, the Israeli army reportedly attacked a Hamas military outpost, designated as a terrorist organisation, in which there was an underground rocket manufacturing tunnel, as well as a complex used by the air defence force.

In this exchange, Israel announced that the Iron Dome had mistaken a series of shots for rockets fired from Gaza. However, by the end of the night, the army confirmed that only one rocket had been fired at Israel, from Hamas.

The rocket was fired at around 10:30 p.m., when the shrapnel had managed to hit a parked car as well as a wall of a house in the town of Sderot.

In less than three hours after the launch, the IDF responded with air strikes in central Gaza against a military target and a tunnel, which it says "contains crude chemicals used for the manufacture of rocket engines". According to the Israeli forces, this attack symbolises a "significant strike" on the rocket production process. They also reported that Hamas reportedly targeted their aircraft with anti-aircraft missiles in the midst of these attacks this week.

In a statement issued by Israel, the SDF said that the sole responsibility for what is happening in Gaza lies with Hamas. However, Hamas spokesman Hazam Qasim said that "the shelling of Gaza will increase the persistence of our people and their resistance to continue the struggle and increase support and aid for our people in Jerusalem".

The Palestinian crescent also claims that Israeli police allegedly threw tear gas canisters inside the al-Quibil prayer hall, causing injuries to worshippers through suffocation. According to allegations, the police cleared the squares where worshippers were gathered and arrested those who were in the al-Quibli prayer hall and the Dome of the Rock. 

These latest attacks end a period of apparent calm. In the last month, for the first time in 33 years, coinciding with Passover, Ramadan and Christian Easter, Jerusalem has once again witnessed clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli authorities on the esplanade of the Al-Aqsa mosques.

This site has been the scene of several clashes between the two monotheistic religions. For Muslims, the Esplanade of the Mosques is the third holiest place after Mecca and the Mosque of Medina, believing that it was from here that the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.

On the other hand, according to the Hebrew religion, it was here that Abraham took his son to sacrifice him to God. For them this area is known as the "Temple Mount" and is one of the holiest sites in Judaism. So much so that most Jews are forbidden to go there, according to sacred prohibitions, as they would be contributing to its desacralisation if they set foot in the area. 

However, orthodox Jewish groups are advocating for greater access and control of the site in an attempt to reclaim the historic 'Temple Mount', a place where, according to Judaism, 'God promises to be in his full presence'. 

These sacred symbolisms have been one of the main reasons for the clashes between Jews and Muslims, confrontations that have occurred again this month coinciding with Ramadan and Passover.

According to Israel, the latter claims it does not want to change the status quo that the esplanade has maintained since 1967, which allows Muslims to enter the esplanade at any time of the day or night. In the same way, Jews could also go, but without praying.

This regulation creates strong clashes between the two sides and fears on the part of Muslims themselves, who believe that Israel could change the rules of access to the temples, which Jordan administers together with the Palestinian authorities.

Jordan hosted an emergency meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee, comprising Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, which was highly critical of the Israeli authorities' actions in the Esplanade of the Mosques. 

In a statement the Committee condemned "the Israeli attacks and violations against worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque which escalated dangerously during the last days of the blessed month of Ramadan and led to hundreds of injuries and arrests among worshippers, and severe damage to the Holy Mosque's facilities".

They warned that these attacks and violations represent a blatant provocation to the feelings of Muslims everywhere and undermine the freedom of worship at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the freedom of access to worshippers there. They added that these attacks "threaten to start a cycle of violence that threatens security and stability in the region and the world". 

They urged Israel to respect the "historic status quo" in the area and called on the Security Council to take "immediate action" to end "illegal Israeli practices".