Responding to Rocket Fire, Israel Launches Airstrikes Into Gaza

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/world/middleeast/israeli-airstrikes-gaza.html

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Israel launched airstrikes into the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to rocket fire from the enclave. Hamas said two of its gunmen were killed.

Militants fired at least three rockets toward Israeli towns from the Hamas-controlled strip on Friday, which was declared a “day of rage” by Palestinian factions protesting President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

In a statement, the Israeli military said its aircraft targeted four Hamas facilities, including two weapons manufacturing sites, a weapons warehouse and a military compound.

Two Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli troops on the Gaza border on Friday, and scores more were wounded there and in the West Bank during protests.

Across the Arab and Muslim worlds, thousands of protesters took to the streets Friday to express solidarity with Palestinians and outrage at Mr. Trump’s reversal of United States policy.

Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future independent state of their own.

For decades, Washington, like most nations, held back from recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying its status should be determined as part of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

The Trump administration argues that the peace process has become moribund, and outdated policies need to be jettisoned to make progress. Mr. Trump also said he would begin the process of moving the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.