Israeli and Palestinian violence escalates to major crisis

PanARMENIAN.Net - A new round of Israeli-Palestinan fighting, set off by tensions over the holy city of Jerusalem, escalated on Wednesday, with Israel launching dozens of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and militants in the territory barraging Israel with rockets, The New York Times reports.

The latest hostilities have united Palestinians in anger across disparate parts of the occupied territories and within Israel. They are venting frustration in part over the displacement of Palestinians from land in East Jerusalem and over longstanding discrimination.

Palestinian discontent has festered for years in the absence of peace talks between the two sides, and with little international pressure on Israel to compromise or grant any concessions to Arabs under occupation.

The wave of unrest and riots has spread across Arab-populated towns in Israel and parts of the occupied West Bank. Two days of Israeli strikes on Gaza, which is controlled by the militant group Hamas, have killed at least 35 Palestinians and wounded more than 200 in Gaza since Monday, according to Palestinian health officials.

Rockets fired by militants from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, a smaller Palestinian group, targeted the Israeli cities of Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and Lod, among others. At least six people were killed and at least 100 were injured, according to Israeli health officials. One Israeli was killed was on Wednesday morning by an anti-tank missile near the Gaza perimeter.

The violence was fueled by a police raid on an Islamic religious site in Jerusalem on Monday. By Tuesday, the conflict had broadened, with civilians on both sides paying a price. The speed of the escalation appeared to take Israelis by surprise.