Israel said it will close its only crossing from the Gaza Strip for workers on Sunday in response to overnight rocket fire, stopping short of conducting retaliatory strikes in an apparent bid to ease tensions. The rocket attacks on Friday night and Saturday morning followed days of clashes at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound and a month of deadly violence.
The unrest — which comes as the Jewish festival of Passover overlaps with the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan — has sparked international fears of a wider conflict, one year after similar violence led to an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza-based militants.
“Following the rockets fired toward Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip last night, it was decided that crossings into Israel for Gazan merchants and workers through the Erez Crossing will not be permitted this upcoming Sunday,” said COGAT, a unit of the Israeli defence ministry responsible for Palestinian civil affairs.
Two rockets were fired from Gaza at southern Israel on Friday night, one of them hitting the Jewish state and the other falling short and striking near a residential building in northern Gaza, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
The use of force by Israeli police resulting in widespread injuries among worshippers and staff in and around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound must be promptly, impartially, independently and transparently investigated,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Israel is braced for more violence, however. The unrest in Jerusalem stirred emotions among Israel’s Arab population, with hundreds marching in the Arab-Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm in support of Al-Aqsa mosque.
Skirmishes at the end of the march evoked images from last year’s conflict with Gaza that saw rioting in Arab cities within Israel.
Source: iol
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