Today, Saturday, 10 fires broke out in the Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip, after the launch of incendiary balloons from the Strip.
The official Israeli “Kan” channel reported that the fires caused damage to wheat fields, explaining that the launching of the balloons came against the background of the tensions and confrontations in East Jerusalem, between the Israeli police and Palestinians.
She added, “Egyptian officials held talks with Hamas during the past two days to prevent the situation from escalating into a large-scale military confrontation.”
On Friday, the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop “playing with fire,” adding, “We will defend Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood with everything we have.”
On Friday evening, the Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, fired tear gas canisters and attacked the worshipers inside it, as well as the protesters in the Sheikh Jarrah and Bab Al-Amud neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
And those confrontations resulted in the injury of 205 Palestinians, according to what was reported by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, while 17 Israeli policemen were injured in the confrontations, according to a police statement.
While the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood has been witnessing for more than 10 days, confrontations between the Israeli police and the Palestinian residents of the neighborhood, and in solidarity with them. Palestinians in the neighborhood are protesting against decisions issued by Israeli courts to evacuate Palestinian families from homes built in 1956.