Over the past several days, both sides have attacked each other, with Hamas firing over 3,300 rockets towards Israel since the start of the hostilities. The IDF has launched hundreds of rockets targeting militants' facilities in Gaza.
So far, the escalation has claimed hundreds of lives, injuring thousands more.
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🚨After over 8 hours of quiet, sirens are sounding in southern Israel once again.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 20, 2021
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that it had "neutralized" what it describes as the terror tunnel network of the Hamas Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has spent the last decade building the 'Metro' terror tunnel network.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 20, 2021
In just 5 days, we neutralized it: pic.twitter.com/aobcEJcg4t
What you're seeing:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 20, 2021
Yet another rocket launched by terrorists that misfired & fell back into Gaza tonight.
Why it matters:
The people of Gaza are endangered every time it happens. pic.twitter.com/rOhSal7nZH
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Gaza Strip-based Hamas Islamist movement, said that it had fired rockets at two Israeli air bases.
According to the organization, the strikes hit the Hatzerim and Tel Nof bases.
Look closely: This photo was taken right after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Israel from a residential area in Gaza. Look what's near the launch site: schools, a UN building, a health center, mosques, and dozens of apartment buildings.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2021
Hamas puts everyone in danger. pic.twitter.com/dVPpUUJVy3
May 18: Israel opens the Erez Crossing to give humanitarian aid. Terrorists fire mortar shells at the crossing.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2021
May 19: Israel opens the Kerem Shalom Crossing to give humanitarian aid. Terrorists fire mortar shells, again.
Hamas is depriving Gazans of vital humanitarian aid.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The United States will not support actions that undermine the diplomatic efforts it leads to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a spokesperson for the US mission at the United Nations told Sputnik on Wednesday when asked about the France-led draft resolution on Gaza.
On Tuesday, France, together with Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan prepared a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and humanitarian access.
“We’ve been clear and consistent that we are focused on intensive diplomatic efforts underway to bring an end to the violence and that we will not support actions that we believe undermine efforts to de-escalate,” the spokesperson said when asked whether the United Nations will support the resolution.
If blocked, the draft resolution would become a fourth failed attempt of the UN Security Council to speak in one voice against the hostilities in the Middle East.
Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook said on Wednesday that he expects that "a ceasefire will happen within a day or two".
"I think that the ongoing efforts regarding the ceasefire will succeed," he said during an interview with Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV. "I expect a ceasefire to be reached within a day or two, and the ceasefire will be on the basis of mutual agreement."
#المسائية | أبو مرزوق لـ #الميادين: أتوقع التوصل إلى وقف لإطلاق النار خلال يوم أو يومين.#فلسطين_تنتفض #فلسطين #فلسطين_قضيتي#القدس #غزة_العزة #القدس_أقرب #غزة_تنتفض #فلسطين_الملحمة #فلسطين_حرة #غزة #غزة_تحت_القصف pic.twitter.com/H4LKKOsStV
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 19, 2021
מטוסי קרב של צה"ל תקפו לפני זמן קצר שני מבנים בצפון ובדרום רצועת עזה המשמשים כתשתית צבאית של הכוח הימי של ארגון הטרור חמאס
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israel has refused access to the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom checkpoint to UN humanitarian assistance and the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the agency's spokesman, Adnan Abu Hasna, told Sputnik.
"The Israeli authorities have refused the delivery of humanitarian aid and not given consent yet to the visit of the UNRWA Commissioner-General to the Gaza Strip," Abu Hasna said.
The spokesman added that if humanitarian aid is not urgently delivered to the people of Gaza, "unprecedented catastrophic consequences" will ensue.
Some 48,000 Palestinians were displaced as a result of armed hostilities between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and while the UNRWA is striving to help them, the agency falls short of an additional $150 million in funding, Abu Hasna said.
Israel has also recently blocked the Kerem Shalom checkpoint for a supply of fuel for a power plant in Gaza, which is struggling with an acute shortage of electricity.
GAZA (Sputnik) - The evacuation of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip is being worked out, the Russian diplomatic mission in Palestine told Sputnik.
"Since the beginning of the Israeli military operation, the Russian mission to the Palestinian National Authority has been in constant contact with compatriots and CIS citizens living in the Gaza Strip and who have asked us to assist in their departure from the sector. This issue is being worked out," the diplomatic mission said.
Not 1.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2021
Not 2.
Not 3.
4,000 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel in the last 10 days.
We will continue to defend Israel. pic.twitter.com/fnwgs6U1rt
צה״ל תקף במהלך היממה האחרונה מספר רב של עמדות משגר-רב קני אשר תוכננו לשגר לעבר מדינת ישראל ומתחמים צבאיים במערך ההגנה האווירית של ארגון הטרור חמאס pic.twitter.com/YbnlVNLPBP
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
A terrorist armed with an M-16 assault rifle arrived at Elias junction near Hebron.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2021
The terrorist started shooting while advancing towards IDF troops & civilians at a bus stop.
2 IDF soldiers shot & neutralized her. No IDF injuries were reported. pic.twitter.com/3kPWUHQoiG
BERLIN (Sputnik) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will fly to Israel and Palestine on Thursday to hold meetings with Israeli foreign and defense ministers, as well as with the Palestinian prime minister, the German Foreign Ministry said.
"Foreign Minister Maas will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories tomorrow. He will meet the Israeli Foreign and Defence Ministers, among others. Talks with the Israeli President are also scheduled. In Ramallah he will meet the Palestinian Prime Minister. The political talks will focus on the current escalation in the Middle East and the international efforts to end the violence. The Foreign Minister will return to Germany the same day," the statement says.
כלי טיס של צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר שלוש עמדות שיגור רקטות, ביניהן עמדת שיגור ששיגרה לעיר באר שבע ועמדת שיגור פצמ״ר של ארגון הטרור חמאס בחאן יונס ובבית חאנון שברצועת עזה
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
לפני זמן קצר, צה"ל תקף עמדת תצפית ובה פיר מנהרה של ארגון הטרור חמאס. העמדה הינה חלק מתשתית המנהרות של הארגון במרכז הרצועה pic.twitter.com/EtQCKVJgOJ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
לפני זמן קצר, כלי טיס תקף וסיכל פעיל טרור של ארגון הטרור חמאס בעת ששיגר רקטות אל עבר מדינת ישראל במזרח עזה וכן עמדת שיגור רקטות של הארגון בחאן יונס pic.twitter.com/jVGel3NxJl
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
לפני זמן קצר, מטוסי קרב של צה"ל תקפו מתחם צבאי של המחלקה הטכנולוגית של ארגון הטרור חמאס בבניין במרחב ג׳באליה pic.twitter.com/YjBgi6ZUkH
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
לפני זמן קצר, כלי טיס של צה"ל תקפו מתחם שיגור רקטי תת קרקעי של ארגון הטרור חמאס בעיר עזה
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
"Recently, IDF aircraft attacked a Hamas terrorist rocket launch site in Gaza City", a tweet from the military says.
לפני זמן קצר, מטוסי קרב של צה"ל תקפו מתחם צבאי של המחלקה הטכנולוגית של ארגון הטרור חמאס בבניין במרחב ג׳באליה pic.twitter.com/YjBgi6ZUkH
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
The Palestinian Authority has warned for years of a possible outbreak of religious war due to "Israel's violations of holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as extremist actions by Jewish settlers", Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Palestinian leader's religious and Islamic affairs adviser said.
"If the status quo is preserved as it is now and if Israel and its settlers do not stop provoking the religious feelings of the Palestinians and Muslims in general, then the world will face a religious war, the fire of which will go beyond Palestine, and the entire world will pay for it", the official noted
He added that the reaction of the Arab and Muslim world, as well as other countries, to the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories is not sufficient.
"The reaction of Arab, Muslim and other countries across the world is not sufficient so far, it is much smaller than it should be, but we are aware of the reality, in which the world lives", Al-Habbash said.
According to the presidential adviser, the Palestinian authorities will continue efforts to garner international support, both official and public, in order to "protect Palestine and the legitimate rights of its people".
"Within the context, we work in all directions, especially since the focus of the current problem is Jerusalem and its shrines, which concern the entire Islamic world", he added.
מטוסי קרב וכלי טיס המשיכו הלילה בתקיפת 'מטרו' שלב ה' במרחב חאן-יונס ורפיח שבדרום רצועת עזה. במסגרת התקיפה שארכה 25 דקות, הותקפו כ-40 מטרות תת-קרקע של ארגון הטרור חמאס. התקיפה בוצעה על-ידי 52 כלי טיס תוך שימוש בכ-120 חימושים מדויקים
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 19, 2021
לכל העדכונים המבצעיים >>https://t.co/rdBKZyEBT8 pic.twitter.com/yAkeVawj3e
"Fighter jets and aircraft continued operations in the Khan Yunis and Rafah areas in the southern Gaza Strip tonight. As part of the 25-minute attack, about 40 underground targets of the Hamas terror organisation were targeted. The attack was carried out by 52 aircraft using about 120 high-precision munitions", a tweet from the IDF says.
