Israel launches artillery attacks on Syria after rocket fire

The Israeli army says it has launched artillery assaults on Syria after a number of rockets have been fired from Syrian territory in the direction of northern Israel, none of which prompted harm or casualties.

The cross-border exchanges early on Sunday got here as violence escalates on a number of fronts, together with in Gaza, Lebanon, occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Financial institution.

There was no fast remark from the Syrian authorities.

The Israeli army mentioned it had launched artillery strikes and a drone towards the rocket launchers in Syria.

There have been two rounds of rockets launches from Syrian territory within the early hours of Sunday, it mentioned. The primary concerned three rockets, one among which landed in a subject within the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

The second launch, which additionally concerned three rockets, set off sirens in northern Israel. There have been no reviews of casualties.

Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV mentioned the rocket launches have been claimed by Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad motion.

The rocket fireplace from Syria comes towards the backdrop of hovering Israeli-Palestinian tensions triggered by Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

The location in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis, holy to each Muslims and Jews, who understand it as Temple Mount, has been a longstanding flashpoint, notably over the problem of Jewish guests defying a ban on non-Muslim prayer within the mosque compound.

The raids got here at a time of heightened non secular fervor – with Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish vacation of Passover and the Christian Easter celebrations. Violent scenes from the assaults outraged Palestinians observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted armed teams in Lebanon and within the Gaza Strip to fireside a barrage of rockets into Israel.

The Israeli army then bombed a number of websites that it mentioned belonged to the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Gideon Levy, an Israeli journalist and writer, informed Al Jazeera that tensions between Israel and its neighbours have been at a essential level.

“The scenario is extraordinarily explosive,” he mentioned.

“Not like the previous years, we face a really radical authorities, which is one hand fairly highly effective, and on the opposite very fragile, as a result of probably the most radical elements of it are pushing for motion which may prove right into a disaster,” he mentioned, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist authorities.

“The scenes from the Al-Aqsa mosque have been scenes not seen in recent times of their brutality and I feel that any small match can set fireplace now to the entire space. Hopefully it is not going to occur, however no one can assure this is not going to occur,” he mentioned.

Levy additionally famous Israel has been finishing up tons of of assaults towards what it says are Iran-linked teams in Syria, bombing ports and airports, together with the principle facility in Aleppo that had been a conduit for assist shipments because the lethal earthquakes that hit northern Syria and southern Turkey on February 6.

“There is no such thing as a public argument about this [raids in Syria] in Israel and no details about it in Israel. No person is aware of why and what type and what’s the value,” Levy mentioned.

“One factor is evident. Israel is violating Syrian sovereignty and Israel is taking part in with fireplace with Iran. How lengthy will the Syrians and the Iranians tolerate this?”

The regional tensions additionally come as violence has additionally escalated in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Within the northern occupied West Financial institution, Israeli safety forces on Saturday shot and killed a 20-year-old Palestinian, in line with the Palestinian well being ministry.

Ahed Salim, 20, was hit within the chest and abdomen by stay fireplace in Azzun close to Qalqilyah, the ministry mentioned.

Earlier within the day, 4 Palestinians have been additionally wounded when Israeli settlers hurled stones at their automobiles at a checkpoint on the entrance to town of Al-Bireh.

The Wafa information company reported extra Israeli settler assaults on Palestinian houses and autos within the city of Deir Ballout.

Israel has additionally been on edge after a car-ramming in Tel Aviv on Friday that killed an Italian man and wounded 5 different vacationers. The Tel Aviv assault got here hours after a Palestinian man shot and killed two Israeli sisters and wounded their mom close to an unlawful Israeli settlement within the occupied West Financial institution.

Amid the escalation, Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant has prolonged a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Financial institution and Gaza Strip in the course of Passover, whereas police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of delicate non secular celebrations.

Mass prayers, nevertheless, have been permitted on the Al-Aqsa mosque on Friday and Saturday.

Greater than 2,000 police have been anticipated to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday – when tens of 1000’s of Jews are anticipated to assemble on the Western Wall on the Al-Aqsa compound for the particular Passover priestly blessing.