Hamas Fires Rockets, Israel Launches Airstrikes as Tensions Rise

Hamas, a Palestinian militant¹ group, fired rockets into Israel on Monday. The group fired the rockets after hundreds of Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli police in Jerusalem earlier Monday.

The Israeli military answered Hamas's rocket fire with airstrikes in Gaza. Palestinian health officials said 20 people, including nine children, were killed in an explosion in the northern Gaza Strip. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Also, Hamas media reported that an Israeli drone strike killed a Palestinian, also in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of continuing operations against Gaza's Hamas rulers. In a speech, he accused the militants³ of crossing a "red line" with the latest rocket fire. "Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price," he said, warning that the fighting could "continue for a while."

In Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged both Israel and the Palestinians to lower tensions and urged an immediate² end to rocket fire by Hamas.

"All sides need to de-escalate, reduce tensions, take practical steps to calm things down," he said. Blinken, however, defended Israel's right to respond and said Hamas' rocket attacks "need to stop immediately."

A spokesman for Hamas' military division said the rocket attack was an answer to what he called Israeli "crimes and aggression⁴" in Jerusalem. He threatened more attacks if Israel enters the area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque⁵ or carries out planned removal of Palestinian families from east Jerusalem.

A spokesman for the Israel military said at least six of the 45 rockets fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza were launched toward Jerusalem. A house was hit but no injuries or deaths were reported. He added, "We have started to attack Hamas military targets."

Jerusalem Day

Earlier in the day, Israeli officials had changed the path of a planned march through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem for Jerusalem Day. The change was an effort to avoid violence between Israeli groups in the march and Palestinians. The day celebrates Israel's capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

The Associated Press reported that Palestinian protesters, behind wooden boards and scrap⁶ pieces of metal, threw stones at Israeli police deployed⁷ outside the mosque. Police then entered the area, firing tear gas, rubber bullets and stun⁸ grenades, some of which entered the mosque. Police said stones thrown at officers also landed near the Western Wall, where thousands of Israeli Jews had gathered to pray.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said more than 305 Palestinians were hurt, including 228 who went to hospitals or clinics for treatment. Seven of the injured were in serious condition.

Israeli police said 21 officers were hurt, including three who were hospitalized. Israeli health officials added that seven Israeli civilians⁹ were also hurt.

Al-Aqsa Mosque was built in an area known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary¹⁰ and called Temple Mount by Jews. It is considered one of the holiest places for Islam and Judaism. Tensions in the area have led to violence in the past, including the last Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

Monday's conflict was the latest after weeks of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Most recently, the tensions have increased with the planned removal of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of east Jerusalem.

Hamas is an Islamic militant group that has fought three wars against Israel since it took control of Gaza in 2007. The group possesses missiles and rockets able to strike many areas in Israel.

The rocket strike on Jerusalem comes as Prime Minister Netanyahu has been unable to form a new government.

Netanyahu also pushed back against international criticism Monday. He said Israel wants to ensure the rights of worship for all.

Words in This Story

drone –n. a small aircraft that flies without a pilot

mosque –n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services

stun grenade –n. an explosive device that produces a very loud sound and a bright light

clinic –n. a place where people go to get medical help

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

5 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

6 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

7 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

8 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。