Israel-Palestine tensions draw international concern
(VOVWORLD) - Hostilities between Israel and Palestine escalated overnight following Hamas rocket attacks directed at Tel Aviv on Tuesday after an Israeli airstrike destroyed an office tower in Gaza.
 Photo taken on May 11, 2021, shows explosions following Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
In a statement published on the messaging app Telegram, Hamas said it launched 130 rockets into Tel Aviv and the central region of Israel “in response to the enemy's targeting of residential towers.” The attack prompted Israel to activate interception and alarm systems in all areas being attacked. It was initially reported that a resident of the city of Rishon Letzion, central Israel, was killed, and three persons in Tel Aviv were injured.
Earlier the same day, the Israeli army launched a campaign to attack 140 locations of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. At least 30 people were killed and hundreds injured, and a 13-story building in Gaza was flattened.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called on Palestinians and Israelis to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that could further escalate the conflict in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The Ministry said it is important to maintain the status quo in relation to holy places in Jerusalem. It said that Russia, in cooperation with regional and global partners, will consistently seek a comprehensive and sustainable settlement that ensures the coexistence of Palestine and Israel.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat strongly condemned the bombardments in the Gaza Strip, and the violent attacks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He said the Israeli army's actions, including the continued forced, illegal evictions of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem, are a stark violation of international law and further heighten tensions in the region.