Tensions have risen in the Middle East as Israel’s military launches air attacks on southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The move follows a spate of reported rocket attacks on Israel. The escalation in tensions comes after Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on successive days this week, firing stun grenades and attacking Palestinians as they gathered for Ramadan prayers.
Israel has said it was focusing on Hamas targets in its Friday raids. Hamas and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement have close ties and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is currently in the country on a private visit. While there were no immediate reports of casualties, a Hamas member has told Al Jazeera that people in Gaza have “no place to hide” and rocket fire was a way for the enclave to defend itself from Israel.
The targets hit by Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon were “open spaces” suggesting Israel may be trying to avoid an escalation.
According to Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, the Israeli missiles fell on “open spaces”, indicating that Israel may be trying to avoid an escalation. The tiny Gaza Strip, which is home to two million Palestinians, came under Israeli occupation, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem, after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
Basem Naim, speaking from Gaza, said residents were scared but had nowhere to go, and that the rocket fire was a response to continued Israeli aggression on a daily basis. Israel’s military announced that it was “striking in Lebanon” in a short statement at 4:07 am (01:07 GMT) on Friday, saying it was targeting Hamas. The situation remains tense as the two sides continue to exchange fire, and there are concerns that the conflict could escalate further.
