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Israeli Retaliatory Strike in Gaza Kills Woman and Child, Palestinian Officials Say Israeli Retaliatory Strike in Gaza Kills Woman and Child, Palestinian Officials Say
(about 2 hours later)
JERUSALEM — An Israeli retaliatory airstrike against a Hamas military target in Gaza resulted in the deaths of a pregnant Palestinian woman and a toddler on Sunday, according to Palestinian officials, and a Palestinian woman and a police officer were injured after a blast in her car that the Israeli police said was caused by an explosive device. JERUSALEM — An Israeli retaliatory airstrike against a Hamas military target in Gaza resulted in the deaths of a pregnant Palestinian woman and a toddler on Sunday, according to Palestinian officials. And a Palestinian woman and a police officer were injured by a blast after the woman tried to ignite a gas balloon in her car, according to Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service.
Though the circumstances of the blast were not immediately clear, the police suspected it was a failed car bomb suicide attack — the first such attempt in years. After more than a week of bloodshed that spread from the West Bank and Jerusalem to cities across Israel, the violence appeared to be shifting gears and expanding, with Gaza increasingly drawn in.
After more than a week of bloodshed that spread from the West Bank and Jerusalem to cities across Israel the violence appeared to be shifting gears and expanding, with Gaza increasingly drawn in. The woman and child killed at dawn Sunday appeared to be the first Palestinian civilian casualties of an Israeli airstrike since a cease-fire ended 50 days of fierce fighting in Gaza in the summer of 2014. The Israeli military said the strikes were in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip overnight.
The woman and child killed at dawn Sunday appeared to be the first Palestinian civilian casualties of an Israeli airstrike since a ceasefire ended 50 days of fierce fighting in Gaza in the summer of 2014. The Israeli military said the strikes were in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip overnight. Together with Israeli forces’ fatal shooting of a total of nine Palestinians during violent protests along the Gaza border over the weekend, the latest events added an increasingly volatile and unpredictable dimension to the latest wave of violence, despite the beginning of an international effort to calm the atmosphere.
Together with the fatal shooting by Israeli forces of a total of nine Palestinians during violent protests along the Gaza border over the weekend, the latest events added an increasingly volatile and unpredictable dimension to the latest wave of violence, despite the beginning of an international effort to calm the atmosphere. The mounting death toll in Gaza seemed to contradict the Israeli Army’s stated goal of limiting civilian casualties in order to avoid further inflaming the situation.
The mounting death toll in Gaza seemed to contradict the army’s stated goal of limiting civilian casualties in order to avoid further inflaming the atmosphere. Amos Harel, the military affairs analyst at the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, described it as “a problematic turning point,” writing on Sunday that the army needed to investigate what had happened along the border and what orders the forces deployed there had been given.
Amos Harel, the military affairs analyst of Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, described it as “a problematic turning point,” writing on Sunday that the army needed to investigate what happened along the border and what orders the forces deployed there were given.
Later Sunday morning, shots were fired from Gaza at an Israeli construction vehicle working with the army along the border, but no injuries were reported, according to the military.Later Sunday morning, shots were fired from Gaza at an Israeli construction vehicle working with the army along the border, but no injuries were reported, according to the military.
So far this month four Israelis were killed in Palestinian gun and knife attacks in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and several more were injured in about 10 copycat stabbings. Israeli forces have fatally shot at least 20 Palestinians, many of them teenagers, according to data compiled by the Palestinian health ministry and Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights group. Some of the Palestinians were killed after carrying out attacks, others in clashes with Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and along the border with Gaza. More than a thousand Palestinians are reported to have been injured. So far this month, four Israelis have been killed in Palestinian gun and knife attacks in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and several more have been injured in about 10 copycat stabbings. Israeli forces have fatally shot at least 20 Palestinians, many of them teenagers, according to data compiled by the Palestinian health ministry and Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights group. Some of the Palestinians were killed after carrying out attacks; others in clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and along the border with Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been reported injured.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority over the weekend, and a delegation of diplomats from the so-called Quartet of Middle East peacemakers, consisting of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union, were due to arrive in the region on Tuesday. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority over the weekend, and a delegation of emissaries from the so-called quartet of Middle East peacemakers — the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union — were expected to arrive in the region on Tuesday.
Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Kerry that Israel expected the Palestinian Authority to stop what it called “its wild and mendacious incitement, which is causing the current wave of terrorism,” according to a statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office. Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Kerry that Israel expected the Palestinian Authority to stop what he called “its wild and mendacious incitement, which is causing the current wave of terrorism,” according to a statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office.
Recently Palestinian anger has focused on a contested holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, where the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock now stand. Palestinians including Mr. Abbas have accused Israel of plotting to divide the sacred compound, despite Mr. Netanyahu’s repeated denials. Mr. Netanyahu’s office said that Mr. Kerry had clarified in his phone call that “the United States is aware of the fact that it is Israel’s policy to maintain the status quo and not change it.” Recently, Palestinian anger has focused on a contested holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, where the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock now stand. Palestinian officials, including Mr. Abbas, have accused Israel of plotting to divide the sacred compound, despite Mr. Netanyahu’s repeated denials. Mr. Netanyahu’s office said Mr. Kerry had clarified in the phone call that “the United States is aware of the fact that it is Israel’s policy to maintain the status quo and not change it.”
At the start of his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday Mr. Netanyahu blamed the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel of inciting the violence. After a weekend of stormy demonstrations by Arab citizens of Israel, as well as counter demonstrations by right-wing Israeli Jews, Mr. Netanyahu said that he had approved a call-up of 16 reserve companies of border police officers in order to restore security and order. At the start of his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu blamed the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel for inciting the violence. After a weekend of stormy demonstrations by Arab citizens of Israel, as well as counterdemonstrations by right-wing Israeli Jews, Mr. Netanyahu said he had approved a call-up of 16 reserve companies of border police officers in order to restore security and order.
“It is preferable to call up a massive force in advance to deal with possible developments than to call them up after the event,” he said.“It is preferable to call up a massive force in advance to deal with possible developments than to call them up after the event,” he said.
Hatem Abdul Qader, an official of Mr. Abbas’s mainstream Fatah party in Jerusalem, told the official Palestinian radio, “Even if he summons NATO, the issue is that we are resisting occupation.” Hatem Abdul Qader, an official in Mr. Abbas’s mainstream Fatah party in Jerusalem, told the official Palestinian radio station, “Even if he summons NATO, the issue is that we are resisting occupation.”
The Israeli military said its warplanes struck two Hamas weapons manufacturing facilities in the Gaza Strip overnight in retaliation for rocket fire against Israel. Al Resalah, a news site run by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that dominates Gaza, said that at least two missiles struck a site of the military wing of Hamas. The Israeli military said its warplanes had struck two Hamas weapons manufacturing facilities in the Gaza Strip overnight in retaliation for rocket fire against Israel. Al Resalah, a news site run by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that dominates Gaza, said that at least two missiles had struck a site of the group’s military wing.
Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian coastal enclave, said that the blast caused a house to collapse, killing a pregnant woman, Noor Hassan, 30, and a relative, Rahaf Hassan, 2, who was found under the rubble. According to other reports, the child was her daughter. Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, the Palestinian coastal enclave, said that the blast had caused a house to collapse, killing a pregnant woman, Noor Hassan, 30, and a relative, Rahaf Hassan, 2, who was found under the rubble. According to other reports, the child was Ms. Hassan’s daughter.
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said the army was looking into the reports of the civilian deaths in Gaza. In an earlier statement, the military said it held Hamas responsible for any acts of aggression from Gaza. “This weekend we have seen clear incitement encouraging the breach of Israel’s sovereignty” it added, pointing to violent confrontations that it said threatened the residents of southern Israel. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said the army was looking into the reports of civilian deaths in Gaza. In an earlier statement, the military said it held Hamas responsible for any acts of aggression from Gaza. “This weekend, we have seen clear incitement encouraging the breach of Israel’s sovereignty,” it added, pointing to violent confrontations that it said threatened residents of southern Israel.
A rocket fired out of Gaza late Saturday was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defense system south of the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, according to the military. A rocket fired from Gaza late Saturday was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome antimissile defense system south of the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, according to the military.
The rocket fire came after the deadly protests along the Gaza border. On Saturday two Palestinian boys, Khalil Othman, 15, and Marwan Breikh, 13, were fatally shot by Israeli forces near Abassan, east of Khan Younis, according to Gaza health officials, and a third Palestinian, Jihad Obeid, 22, died of wounds sustained on Friday in similar protests. Hamas said that Mr. Obeid was a member of its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and praised him for taking “the path of jihad and resistance.” The rocket fire came after the deadly protests along the Gaza border. On Saturday, two Palestinian boys — Khalil Othman, 15, and Marwan Breikh, 13 — were fatally shot by Israeli forces near Abassan, east of Khan Younis, according to Gaza health officials, and a third Palestinian, Jihad Obeid, 22, died of wounds sustained on Friday in similar protests. Hamas said that Mr. Obeid had been a member of its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and praised him for taking “the path of jihad and resistance.”
The military said it was trying to quell crowds that hurled rocks, rolled burning tires and tried to breach the fence separating Gaza from Israel. In one case dozens of Palestinians managed to enter Israeli territory. Five were caught and detained for questioning and the rest retreated back to Gaza, according to the military. The Israeli military said it was trying to quell crowds that had hurled rocks, rolled burning tires and tried to breach the fence separating Gaza from Israel. In one case, dozens of Palestinians managed to enter Israeli territory. Five were caught and detained for questioning, and the rest retreated back to Gaza, according to the military.
The circumstances of the blast in the car remained vague. The police said in a statement that an officer pulled over a car that was driving in a suspicious manner near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, northeast of Jerusalem, and that the driver shouted “Allahu Akbar” and set off an explosion. The circumstances of the blast in the car remained unclear. The police said in a statement that an officer had pulled over a person driving in a suspicious manner near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, northeast of Jerusalem, and that the driver had shouted “Allahu akbar” and set off an explosion.
Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the police, wrote on Twitter that police officers prevented a “female terrorist from making her way to Jerusalem this morning.” Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the police, wrote on Twitter that police officers had prevented a “female terrorist from making her way to Jerusalem this morning.”
But the independent Palestinian news agency Maan quoted an unnamed witness saying that an electrical problem had ignited a small fire inside the woman’s car and that she had panicked and started to scream. But the independent Palestinian news agency Maan quoted an unnamed witness as saying that an electrical problem had ignited a small fire inside the woman’s car, and that she had panicked and started to scream.
The police identified the woman as a 31-year-old from the West Bank city of Jericho. The Israeli authorities imposed a blackout on further details of the investigation. The police identified the woman as a 31-year-old who lived in the West Bank city of Jericho and in East Jerusalem.