Key issues
Latest development18 August: Violence escalates in Gaza and southern Israel. On 18 August, a series of attacks along the Egypt-Israel border and in southern Israel claimed the lives of eight Israelis and left about 30 injured. At least seven of the attackers who had infiltrated into Israel from Egypt were killed. The Israeli Air Force launched a series of air strikes on 18 and 19 August on Gaza. These targeted a number of houses, a police station, a military base, tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border and open areas, killing at least seven Palestinians, including reportedly members of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and a 13 year-old child, and injuring at least 20 others. More than a dozen rockets were launched from Gaza towards southern Israel, injuring seven Israelis. Also, the Israeli authorities re-instituted restrictions on access to prayers on the third Friday of Ramadan (19 August), with only men above 50 allowed to cross the checkpoints around East Jerusalem and enter the Old City. Men below this age were not allowed to access the Old City even if they are holders of Jerusalem IDs.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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