Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip entered its seventh consecutive day with air raids early on Sunday killing at least 26 Palestinians, wounding dozens more, and flattening at least two residential buildings.
The home of Gaza’s Hamas chief, Yehya al-Sinwar, was also targeted, according to the group’s media.
In Israel’s Tel Aviv, people dashed for bomb shelters as sirens warning of incoming rocket fire blared across the city.
More than 170 Palestinians, including at least 41 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the past week. More than 1,000 others have been wounded. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed at least 13 Palestinians.
Israel has reported 10 dead, including two children.
The United Nations Security Council meets on Sunday to discuss the worst outbreak of violence in years in Palestine and Israel.
Here are the latest updates:
‘Arab-Jewish violence on rise among Israeli citizens’
Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said the al-Aqsa Mosque has been denied access for all non-Muslim people as there was some talk of pro-Jewish right-wing activists trying enter the compound to carry out some kind of activities.
“Tensions and worries about security remains high even during daytime,” he said.
“Disturbing videos came out overnight. There was a video showing a group of Jewish people at a road junction looking for Palestinian-Israeli drivers and when one driver come in, they started throwing stones. Police did not intervene in any strong fashion,” he also said.
“Another video showed a Jewish man walking at night in Jaffa on CCTV before two Palestinian Israeli push him in a door way and beat him up,” our correspondent said.
“There are concerns of more organised levels of violence with armed settler group going to places such as Lod, an eastern suburb of Tel Aviv. There are also concern of armed organised crime among the Israeli Palestinian sector,” Fawcett added.
German FM calls for end to violence
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for an end to violence in the Middle East and urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume talks.
“What is needed now is: 1. an end to the rocket attacks, 2. an end to the violence and 3. a return to talks between Israelis & Palestinians and on a two-state solution,” Maas tweeted, calling the situation “highly explosive”.
Saudi Arabia slams Israel’s ‘flagrant violations’ of Palestinian rights
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister condemned Israel’s “flagrant violations” of Palestinian rights and called on the international community to act urgently to put an end to military operations.
He called on the international community to carry out its responsibility towards ending this “dangerous escalation”, to act urgently to halt military operations and to revive peace negotiations based on a two-state solution.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was speaking in televised remarks at the start of an emergency virtual meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Jala Tower owner denies Israeli claims
The owner of a bombed high-rise building in Gaza City housing offices of international media outlets denied his building contain assets of Hamas intelligence agency after an air attack launched by Israel obliterated the 12-story building.
Jawad Mehdi, the owner of the Jala Tower, said no evidence for the claim has been provided by the Israeli authorities.
“Apart from the tenants, there are some offices of lawyers, engineers and some media agencies including Al Jazeera and AP. Nothing else,” said Mehdi.
Israel says it made arrests in Lod
Israeli police said it had arrested six suspects involved in riots in the Israeli Arab city of Lod in the early hours of the morning.
They also reported that they had seized petrol bombs and ammunition, adding that “police operations and activities continued in cities and areas across the country to prevent and respond to incidents.”
EU to hold urgent talks on Israeli-Palestinian issue
European Union foreign ministers will hold urgent video talks on the escalating fighting between Israel and the Palestinians, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said.
“In view of the ongoing escalation between Israel and Palestine and the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, I am convening an extraordinary VTC of the EU Foreign Ministers on Tuesday. We will coordinate and discuss how the EU can best contribute to end the current violence,” Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter Sunday.
Al Jazeera
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