Tear gas, bullets, bombs: Israel unleashes massive assault on Palestinians

In response to the mobilization of tens of thousands of Palestinians defending the right to live in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem and worship at the Al-Aqsa mosque, Israel has unleashed murderous actions all across occupied Palestine. Al-Aqsa is an iconic national symbol of the Palestinian people and one of the holiest sites in Islam. It has been repeatedly targeted by Zionist extremists who want to take it over. The latest escalation by Israel are air strikes May 10 in the Gaza Strip that have so far killed over 20 civilians. The Israeli government indicated it is prepared for a drawn out military campaign against the Palestinian people. Earlier in the day, a brutal raid into Al-Aqsa left more than 300 Palestinians wounded, with 250 suffering injuries serious enough to require hospital treatment. Hamas, the Palestinian organization administering the government in Gaza, issued an ultimatum to Israel to stop the assault on Al Aqsa and the eviction campaign in Sheikh Jarrah. After another round of attacks on Palestinian worshipers by Israel, Hamas launched dozens of rockets into Jerusalem, forcing the evacuation of the Israeli Knesset. The corporate media in the United States is pushing the line that the Israeli airstrikes were an act of self-defense. But what they were “retaliating” against was in fact proportionate retaliation by Palestinian fighters to the terrible crime at the Al-Aqsa mosque. This comes on top of a ratcheted-up campaign by the Israeli government to remove Palestinians from Palestine. Ultra-right Zionist forces rampaged through Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of East Jerusalem, attacking Palestinians while chanting “Death to the Arabs” under the protection of Israeli police and military. Coinciding with the month of Ramadan, Israeli police closed access to the Damascus Gate plaza, a gathering site near the mosque used during Ramadan. This provocation rightfully enraged Palestinian worshipers and led to clashes between worshipers and Zionist police forces. On May 7, in another major act of repression, approximately 200 people were injured and 90 sent to the hospital. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/tear-gas-bullets-bombs-israel-unleashes-massive-assault-on-palestinians/