An Israeli airstrike has killed 24 people in northern Gaza, the Strip's Health Ministry said in a statement late Monday. The Ministry added that nine children were among the victims in Gaza Strip. Over a hundred were injured.
"Bodies of nine martyrs, including three children, and several other people injured have been brought to the Beit Hanoun Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip," Ashraf al-Qudra, a ministry spokesperson, said in a statement.
While the official did not give details about how the people were killed or injured, there were reports circulating of Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of Palestinian protesters were injured in renewed attacks by the Israeli police in the flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque Monday after days of raids and attacks against peaceful worshippers during the month of Ramadan.
50 of the injured were taken to hospitals, a medical source told Anadolu Agency Monday.
The continuation of Israeli security forces attacks follow high tensions since last week in the Sheikh Jarrah area as Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families.
Earlier in the day, Palestinian groups shot rockets at Israeli locations in response to the continued Israeli aggression at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli army reported that seven rockets were fired from Gaza toward western Jerusalem.
Israeli security forces fired rubber-coated bullets, tear gas and stun grenades, wounding hundreds ahead of a rally by hardline Jewish groups to celebrate "Jerusalem Day," commemorating Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. The protesters retaliated by throwing stones and other objects at the police. Palestinians reported stun grenades fired into the mosque complex, with dozens injured.
Since Friday, Israeli police have been constantly attacking Palestinian worshippers in the mosque, amounting to almost 300 injured over the weekend. Most of the injuries were caused by rubber-coated bullets fired by police, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported.
The attack on Islam's third holiest site and around East Jerusalem coincides with Israel's decision to evict Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers, drawing condemnation from several countries for both the violence at Al-Aqsa and the evictions.
Tensions in Jerusalem have soared in recent weeks as Palestinians have protested against Israel's restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and after authorities ordered several Palestinian families to leave their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.
