WEB DESK
Over 70 killed as Israel, Palestinians exchange worst violence in years — and prepare for more
Airstrikes and rocket fire continued through the day with ethnic violence reported in mixed Arab-Israeli cities Wednesday night, report NBC.
In the worst flare-up of violence in seven years, Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes and Palestinian militants fired hundreds of missiles so far this week, killing more than 70 people and injuring hundreds more amid rising fears the conflict could spiral into all-out war.
Violence in Gaza and Israel shows no sign of abating amid continued rocket fire and air strikes, and civil unrest among Jewish and Israeli Arab mobs.
Deaths continue to mount, with at least 83 people now killed in Gaza and seven in Israel, reports BBC.
A BBC reporter in Gaza said it had been the “longest and most difficult night since the 2014 war”. Israel said it had been targeted with 1,600 rockets.
Israel is now mulling a possible ground operation in Gaza.
It has sent reinforcements to the border.
This is now the worst violence since 2014, fuelled initially by weeks of Israeli-Palestinian tension in East Jerusalem which led to clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. This spiralled into an incessant exchange of Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington is “deeply concerned about the violence in the streets of Israel” as Jews and Arabs clashed in riots across the country.
Blinken said Muslims feasting for Eid al-Fitr and Jews marking Shavuot this week “deserve to take part in celebrations without fear of violence.”
UN Chief Guterres and Russian President Putin urge de-escalation
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday urged both Israel and Hamas to “stop the violence.” A statement put out by the Kremlin after the two men spoke via video read: “In light of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it was stated that the primary task is to stop violent actions on both sides and ensure the safety of the civilian population,”
Hamas launches large rocket at Eilat airport after flights diverted from Tel Aviv
Hamas says it launched a 250 kilo (500 lb.) rocket targeting Ramon Airport near Eilat. Flights had been diverted there — 200 km (125 mi) south of Tel Aviv — due repeated rocket attacks at Ben Gurion, the country’s main airport. Hamas demanded international carriers immediately halt all flights to Israel.
Israeli Defense Forces on Thursday took to Twitter to announce the downing of a drone over Israeli airspace, saying: “Recently, the IDF shot down an unmanned aircraft that crossed from the Gaza Strip into the State of Israel. The aircraft was monitoring air control units from the moment of crossing until the moment of landing.”