The Arab League accused the Israeli government of resorting to a policy that would “eliminate any opportunity to achieve peace and ignite chaos and violence in the region.”…reports Asian Lite News
The Arab League (AL) on Tuesday condemned Israel for committing a “heinous crime” as its airstrikes killed at least 15 in Gaza.
“The dangerous escalation comes within the open war waged by the Israeli right-wing government against the Palestinian people, their properties and sanctities,” MENA quoted Saeed Abu Ali, AL assistant secretary-general for Palestine and occupied Arab territories affairs, as saying.
The AL official accused the Israeli government of resorting to a policy that would “eliminate any opportunity to achieve peace and ignite chaos and violence in the region,” vowing to hold it fully responsible for an escalation of violence.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli fighter jets and unmanned drones carried out simultaneous and surprise attacks at buildings housing senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) military leaders in Gaza.
The Gaza-based health ministry said 15 Palestinians were killed and more than 20 were injured in the airstrikes, including ten civilian women and children.
The ministry said in a press statement that among those killed included four children and five women, while seven of the 22 injured were in serious condition.
The PIJ confirmed in a statement that three of its commanders, namely Jihad Ghannam, Khalil Al-Bahtini and Tareq Izzeldeen, were killed in the strikes. The faction vowed a response.
In a fresh airstrike in the afternoon, the Israeli military said they killed two PIJ militants preparing a rocket attack against Israel.
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Israel braces for retaliation
Israel was on high alert on Tuesday as it prepared for retaliatory rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip after a series of Israeli airstrikes killed militants and civilians in the coastal Palestinian enclave.
Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported that over 2,000 Israelis have been evacuated from communities near the enclave, as a precaution against possible rocket attacks launched by Gazan militants at nightfall.
Residents in southern Israel were being relocated to hotels in central regions of the country. In the city of Sderot, preparations have been made by the municipality to temporarily relocate approximately 4,500 elderly or sick residents.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told local council heads near Gaza that they “must be prepared for every scenario.” He added that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and security forces “are prepared to defend every front,” according to a statement released on his behalf.
Arab nations condemn Israel
Jordan condemned Israel’s escalation of tension in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Sinan Al-Majali underlined the need for the international community to act immediately and effectively to stop the Israeli attacks and protect the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and all other occupied Palestinian territories.
Al-Majali said that Israeli raids on the holy sites in Jerusalem and occupied Palestinian cities could lead to further violence that will affect all.
Jordan will continues its communication with relevant parties to immediately stop this dangerous escalation, so as to restore calm and prevent violence, he added.
The UAE condemned the Israeli operation that targeted areas in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death and injury of numerous people.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) called on Israeli authorities to halt escalation and avoid exacerbating tension and instability in the region.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes.
In a statement posted on the ministry’s website, Nasser Kanaani highlighted the necessity of an “immediate, effective, deterrent and coordinated” action by Muslim states to stop Israel’s “crimes,” after the Israeli attacks on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militants in the Gaza Strip that killed at least 13 people, including women, children and three senior PIJ military leaders, and injured at least 20 others.
Kanaani said the Israeli offensive was aimed at diverting the public opinion away from Israel’s “very shaky and critical” domestic situation.
The spokesman added that the silence and inaction of Western countries and relevant international organizations in the face of Israel’s recent escalation of tensions with the Palestinian people had greatly emboldened Israelis to continue their “crimes.”
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