The head of the Arab League on Tuesday condemned deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip as "indiscriminate and irresponsible" and said Israel had provoked the ongoing escalation in violence with its actions in Jerusalem.
The violence began with days of confrontations in the capital between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, at the Damascus Gate and in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
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Police fire tear gas and stunt grenades during riots outside the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem last week
"Israeli violations in Jerusalem, and the government's tolerance of Jewish extremists hostile to Palestinians and Arabs, is what led to the ignition of the situation in this dangerous way," Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a statement.
The attacks in Gaza were a "miserable show of force at the expense of children's blood," he said.
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Smoke rises after an IDF strike on Gaza following rocket fire from the Strip at Israeli communities on Tuesday
(Photo: AFP)
Aboul Gheit called on the international community to act immediately to stop the violence, saying continuing "Israeli provocations" were an affront to Muslims on the eve of the Eid holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Arab League foreign ministers were holding a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Jerusalem.
Violent clashes escalated sharply on Monday when Palestinian terror groups in Gaza launched a barrage of rockets at the Jerusalem area, triggering an aerial IDF response.
Health officials in Gaza said at least 2 people, including nine children, were killed.