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By Shwan Haddad
Yet another conflict has broken out in the Levant.
This is only part of one of the longest conflicts in the Middle East: The Israel/Palestine Conflict.
Tensions have been rising since the 6th of May due to clashes with police over new legislation being brought in.
Yesterday, the violence took a new step after militant group HAMAS started firing rockets into Israel, with Israel responding with airstrikes.
What’s Happening?
Clashes begun over new legislation causing people in Sheikh Jarrah to possibly be evicted.
This is due to a law that Jewish Israelis can buy land owned by Jews prior to the 1948 war.
They have been trying for years to have the Palestinians here evicted, but now clashes have erupted into a conflict.
HAMAS and Islamic Jihad, are the main actor for the Palestinians, with the IDF, and police being the actors for Israel.
The terror groups started firing rockets from Gaza in Israel yesterday and Israel responded with airstrikes.
Israeli authorities report around 150 rockets being fired in Israel from Gaza.
Seven were fired at Jerusalem with only one being intercepted by Iron Dome.
A civilian vehicle has been hit by an anti-tank missile which ended up in the driver being injured by the blast.
Riots erupted in the city of Lod after Arab mobs started firebombing and throwing stones at Jewish residents that evening.
Around 26 people so far have been killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes, including children, but 15 are claimed to be militants.
Palestinian media reports that Muhammad Abdullah Fayyad, from the Hamas al-Qassam Brigades, has been killed by Israeli Airstrikes.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, has commented on the current situation saying:
“The UK condemns the firing of rockets at Jerusalem and locations within Israel. The ongoing violence in Jerusalem and Gaza must stop. We need an immediate de-escalation on all sides, and end to targeting of civilian populations.”
So far the red crescent reports that over 300 Palestinians have been injured due to the conflict.
Israel reports over 30 police officers injured so far in clashes with rioters, and the number will continue to rise.
Two Israelis are dead in Ashkelon due to a rocket attack on their locations.
What are the reactions worldwide?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has publicly denounced the actions taken by Israel.
He met with HAMAS and Palestinian leaders to discuss the matters at hand and what action to take.
The President of Turkey has said that:
“[We] will do everything in his power to mobilise the world, starting with the Islamic world, to stop Israel’s terror and occupation.”
Twitter is ablaze with the situation going on in the region.
Both sides are at each other’s throats goading each other to defend their positions or sharing videos of what’s going on.
Opinion Columnist Marina Medvin shared this on her page:
The moment Palestinian terrorists struck a residential building in Israel.
Two women were killed, two seriously injured.pic.twitter.com/tvjRxbS8VJ
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) May 11, 2021
Many people are pointing out the fact that people seem more outraged by Israel responding to the rocket attacks than the actual attacks.
Senior Editor of The Dispatch, David French had this to say on the matter:
Every nation has the right and obligation to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket fire aimed at its cities and towns. The fact that Israel’s act of necessary self defense outrages some folks more than the rocket fire is … curious. https://t.co/Mx6X1qECeB
— David French (@DavidAFrench) May 11, 2021
Others have pointed out the ‘negligence’ shown to the Palestinians by the world.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had this to say on the matter:
The world has been criminally negligent to the plight of Palestinians for too long. Israel targeting children & unarmed civilians is terrorism at its worst. I strongly condemn this brutality in Al Aqsa Mosque & Gaza. My heart goes out to the victims. The world must act & act NOW pic.twitter.com/wR5NHgvRZI
— Nawaz Sharif (@NawazSharifMNS) May 11, 2021
This twitter user points at something that she sees as an inconsistency:
self defense is a term only used for Israel, when Palestinians defend themselves it’s called terrorism
— Sabeen (@sbeansz) May 11, 2021
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has urged for continued resistance from the Palestinians.
He said:
“The downward and declining movement of the Zionist regime has begun and will not stop.”
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has also commented on the sitatuation.
He said:
“Terrorist organizations in Gaza have crossed a red line and attacked us with missiles in the outskirts of Jerusalem”
He continues:
“Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price.”
He has also warned that fighting could continue “for some time”.
Here we see yet another conflict in the worlds most volatile region.
This isn’t the first, and sadly won’t be the last in the area.
What will the consequences of this one be?
