conflicts
Israel: Hamas not interested in full escalation
A few days ago, an armed Palestinian opened fire on passers-by in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv. He was then shot dead by police officers. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories remains tense. Tens of thousands of people come to Jerusalem for Muslim Friday prayers. However, there are no major incidents there.
After a series of bloody attacks that left eleven dead in Israel, a leading Israeli officer sees no interest in a “complete escalation” among militant Palestinian organizations.
This affects both the Islamist Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, and Islamic Jihad, the officer said on Friday. “They are much happier celebrating the deaths of Israelis and trying to animate and inspire attacks by lone gunmen in Israel – (…) in Israel and in Judea and Samaria (West Bank).”
According to Palestinian sources, one man was killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. The 29-year-old was shot in the head in Hebron, the Ministry of Health in Ramallah said. According to the army, a suspect threw a fire bottle at soldiers during unrest. They then fired live ammunition. During the last Friday prayer before the beginning of the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, it remained quiet around the Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) in Jerusalem’s old town.
Series of attacks with eleven dead
Eleven people have been killed in a series of attacks in Israel since the beginning of last week. The country fears further acts of violence at the beginning of Ramadan at the weekend. The attacks marked the bloodiest week in Israel in 16 years. Three Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank on Thursday – two in an Israeli military operation and one in its own attack.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are trying to stay out of the line of fire for now, the officer said. “Hamas is very sensitive to the fact that the people of Gaza do not want to see any further escalation, especially during the month of Ramadan.”
Large numbers of police were on site around the Temple Mount, which is holy to Muslims and Jews. According to the Jordanian Wakf authority, a total of around 35,000 people came to the prayer itself – fewer than the average. In the past, between 500,000 and a million people attended Friday prayers during Ramadan.
Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories for their own state with East Jerusalem as the capital.