Against the background of the war in Gaza and raids in the West Bank, a third area of conflict is emerging in Jerusalem, which has the potential, perhaps even greater, to spread the conflict throughout the region, the Guardian reports.
Members of Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government are testing the limits of the religious accord that has been in place since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Under the 57-year-old agreement between Israel and the Jordanian monarchy, only Muslims are allowed to pray in the complex that includes the Al Aqsa Mosque and the shrine known to Jews as the Temple Mount. Non-Muslims are allowed to visit the site respectfully, but not to pray.
That deal is now on the verge of collapse. With the encouragement of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Messianic and other extreme Jews are increasingly openly praying on the holy stone esplanade in the southeastern part of the old city of Jerusalem.
On Wednesday, the prayers went further than ever. Several dozen religious nationalists prayed aloud along the eastern wall of the esplanade. The scene was recorded by Harec journalist Nir Hason, who posted the video on the X social network.
For some time, under Netanyahu's government, groups of religious Jews have been escorted to the secluded eastern wall of the Al Aqsa esplanade, but until now they have mostly chosen to pray silently and standing.
Under Ben-Gvir's control, the police now protect violations of the status quo which, as Netanyahu's cabinet officially insists, remains government policy.
Reuters, referring to the Egyptian state television, reports that the Chief of the Egyptian General Staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Fati Khalifa, visited the border with Gaza to examine the security situation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made control of the Philadelphia Corridor, which separates Gaza and Egypt, a condition of the truce talks. In May, the Israeli army captured the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, effectively taking control of the entire Gaza land border.
The Israeli army announced that eight missiles were fired towards Israel from the direction of Lebanon. She stated that most of the missiles were intercepted, but one fell in the Ramat Naftali area, and another was identified near Yara.
On its official Telegram channel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there were no reports of casualties. Earlier, Israel claimed to have hit Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure in the Qana area of southern Lebanon.
According to a Haaretz report, citing Lebanon's Al Majadin channel, a Hezbollah fighter was killed in southern Lebanon during an Israeli strike.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the X social network that it will hold the government of Lebanon responsible for any rocket that Hezbollah fires at Israel from that neighboring country.
Alarm sirens sounded in northern Israel.
In a statement on its official Telegram channel, the Israeli military claimed to have hit Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure in the Qana area of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it had earlier intercepted "two suspicious aerial targets" that attempted to approach Israel from Lebanon. The targets are said to have been intercepted before reaching Israel and no casualties have been reported, the Guardian reports.
Israel's Shin Bet security agency released data suggesting more rockets were fired into Israeli-controlled territory from Lebanon in August than in any other month since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7 last year.
The Times of Israel reports that Shin Bet figures show that 1.307 rockets were fired in August from what it called the "northern front," which includes parts of Syria. That's up from 1.091 in July and 855 in June.
Data show that during August, about 116 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, where Israel is conducting a long military operation, which it claims is directed against Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives in that territory.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that this morning Israeli security forces are carrying out raids in the occupied West Bank near Bethlehem, and in Jenin and Tulkarm.
Wafa reports that this is the ninth consecutive day of raids in Jenin, citing a local official, saying that Israeli forces beat a 38-year-old man and fired tear gas in Zatara, southeast of Bethlehem.
Wafa also reports that three people were killed in an alleged Israeli attack on Gaza in the northern part of the territory. The attack took place in the Al Zaytun settlement.
Palestinian news sources claim that among the six people killed overnight by Israeli forces was a 16-year-old boy, identified by the Wafa news agency as Majed Fida Abu Zeina.
The Palestinian Red Crescent is reported to have managed to transport Zeina to hospital after Israeli forces initially prevented medical aid from reaching the boy. He was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces in Camp Fara, south of Tubas.
Five young men were also killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank when their vehicle was bombed in the town of Tubas, according to Wafa news agency.
Early this morning, the Israeli military claimed to have hit what it called a "command and control center" in Gaza, which it said was used by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Israeli army said the center was located in the humanitarian area of Deir Al Balah.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that helicopters were used in the attack. The Israeli army claims it has taken steps to "reduce the risk of harm to civilians".
Palestinian news sources reported that an attack by Israeli forces outside Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir El Balah resulted in the death of five civilians. Images from the hospital show children being treated for injuries on the hospital floor.
The militant group Hamas has said that there is no need for new proposals for a cease-fire for Gaza and that pressure should be put on Israel to accept the American plan that the Islamist group has already accepted, reports the Guardian.
It is expected that the US will soon present a new truce proposal in order to break the deadlock in negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure inside Israel to reach a deal to free the remaining hostages, after Israeli authorities announced on Sunday that the bodies of six people had been found in a tunnel in Gaza.
In a statement posted on Telegram early Thursday, Hamas said Netanyahu was trying to derail the deal by insisting Israel would not withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor in southern Gaza. This problem became a key obstacle in the negotiations. The Israeli prime minister is widely accused of trying to prolong the war for personal and political gain.
"We warn against falling into Netanyahu's trap and tricks, as he is using the negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people," Hamas said in a statement, adding that they had accepted the July 2 US proposal.
However, late on Wednesday, Netanyahu claimed that Hamas was stalling the talks.
"We are trying to find some area to start negotiations. They [Hamas] refuse it... [They said] there is nothing to discuss," the Israeli prime minister said.
Netanyahu has argued that Israel must maintain control of the Philadelphia Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas, which has demanded a complete withdrawal from the area.
In Gaza, the first phase of vaccination against poliomyelitis has been successfully completed, the World Health Organization announced.
Conflict between Israel and Hamas - 335th day.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel must maintain indefinite control of Gaza's border with Egypt, taking a stand that threatens to derail efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Netanyahu's comments came as the US prepares a new proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, hoping to end the 11-month-old war.
The issue of Israeli control over the so-called Philadelphia Corridor - a narrow strip of land along Gaza's border with Egypt, which the Israelis captured in May - has become a central sticking point in the talks.
Hamas is demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of a multi-phase ceasefire agreement.
Egypt, a mediator in the negotiations along with the US and Qatar, also demanded a specific time frame for the departure of Israeli troops from the corridor.
The United Arab Emirates, which established formal ties with Israel in 2020, also criticized Israel's position yesterday.
Netanyahu believes that Israel must maintain permanent control over Philadelphia to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons across the border.
(BETA)
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