Death toll rises as Israel-Gaza violence continues

The bloody violence between the Israeli state and Palestinian militants has continued, claiming more lives and causing Israel to declare a state of emergency in the city of Lod.

The official death toll now stands at 40 – 35 Palestinians and 5 Israelis.
Israeli forces have hit Gaza with airstrikes, including one that demolished the 12-story Al-Jawhara tower block, causing civilian deaths, according to health officials.

The Israeli Army claims that more than 1,000 rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants at central and southern Israel, including the capital Tel Aviv and the nearby city of Lod.

A state of emergency was declared in Lod after protests by Israeli Arabs turned into violent clashes with police, who used stun grenades on the crowds.

The trouble was sparked when Israel Defense Forces soldiers stormed Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Monday, cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests and injuring more than 300 people.

The Palestinian militant organization Hamas subsequently set an ultimatum for the withdrawal of the troops, and then, when that deadline passed, fired rockets towards Israel for the first time since 2014.

After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to intensify attacks on Gaza, the UN envoy Tor Wennesland called on leaders to ‘take the responsibility of de-escalation’ and warned that the situation was ‘escalating towards a full-scale war.’

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