WEB DESK
Israel on Friday carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for earlier rocket fire from the occupied territories. At least 10 people wounded in the bombing, with some reports putting the number of injured as high as 25.
Scores have been wounded as Israeli aircraft bombed military facilities in Gaza. Violent protests have broken out in Gaza and the West Bank following the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The Israeli military said the strikes had targeted a militant training camp and a weapons depot. Israel also indicated that its Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted the initial rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli army said around 4,500 Palestinians “participated in violent riots” along the Gaza-Israel border. A similar number of protesters also rallied in the West Bank, where 65 people were wounded.
Friday’s protests have been dubbed a “day of rage” by Palestinian militant group Hamas and were called in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision on Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Meanwhile at least two are dead and a dozen injured during clashes with police Friday, as the protests extended into a second day. Thousands more protested across the Muslim world in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Trump’s announcement this week upended decades of US diplomatic efforts to maintain a semblance of objectivity while leaving the status of a contested Jerusalem to peace negotiations between the two sides.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital for their future state, but Israel has refused that claim. Much of the international community considers East Jerusalem occupied territory.
Jerusalem is home to key holy sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.