IDF says it hit 130 targets in Gaza overnight after 200 rockets fired at Israel

Palestinians say hundreds injured in Temple Mount clashes

Hundreds of people have been wounded in renewed clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount compound, the Palestinian Red Crescent says.

“There are hundreds of people injured from the clashes” and about 50 of them have been hospitalized, the Red Crescent says in a brief statement to journalists.

The clashes were prompted by thousands of Palestinians gathering overnight at the flashpoint Jerusalem holy site ahead of Jerusalem Day, collecting numerous rocks and other makeshift weapons, upon which police barred Jewish entry to the site. The Palestinians then started rioting and hurling rocks, causing police to enter the compound.

Israel says Muslim rioters ‘used cynically’ by those pushing for ‘escalation’ of violence

Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians, Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, attempts to ease the rising tensions in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, telling Palestinians that Israel is “dedicated to allowing freedom of worship in Jerusalem to all religions,” as Muslim rioters clash with police on the Temple Mount.

“Some of those involved truly believe that they are protecting holy sites, but in fact they are desecrating them,” Alian says.

“Those involved are being riled up and used cynically by those who are trying to escalate the situation and set the area on fire, using violent and inflammatory language on social media and in the media,” he says.

رسالة منسق أعمال الحكومة في المناطق، الميجر جنرال غسان عليان pic.twitter.com/av8fWT9TEO

— المنسق (@CogatArabic) May 10, 2021

Hamas calls Temple Mount clashes ‘massacre,’ warns Israel to pay ‘heavy price’

Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesperson for the Hamas terror group, comments on the clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian rioters in Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, calling them “a real massacre and war crime.”

“We call on our entire nation to take to the streets and clash with the occupation,” he says, adding that “Israel will pay a heavy price for its forcible takeover of Al-Aqsa.”

Palestinians throw rocks at Jew’s car in Jerusalem; he rams one of them

A group of Palestinian rioters apparently threw rocks at a Jewish man’s car outside the Old City of Jerusalem, resulting in the driver ramming his vehicle into one of them, according to footage published on social media.

Rioters at the scene initially tried to attack the driver, whose car got stuck on the curb, but they eventually fled the scene, throwing more rocks at his vehicle as they ran away.

The conditions of the man hit by the car and the driver are not immediately known. Medics are on the scene.

It is not immediately clear if the man deliberately drove his car into the Palestinian man or lost control of the vehicle.

#شاهد:

مستوطن يدهس عدد من المواطنين الفلسطينيين عند باب الاسباط بالقدس المحتلة. pic.twitter.com/etkzZtpj1U

— Newpress | نيو برس (@NewpressPs) May 10, 2021

Red Crescent: 180 injured in clashes, including 1 in ‘very serious condition’

The Palestinian Red Crescent reports 180 injuries this morning during clashes between Palestinians and police at the Temple Mount.

Some 80 Palestinians were hospitalized, the first aid organization reports.

One Palestinian is reportedly in “very serious condition and on a ventilator,” following the clashes, the Red Crescent says.

First deals for Bennett-Lapid government could be signed within a day — report

The first coalition agreements could be signed over the coming 24 hours amid efforts to quickly form a government in which the premiership will be rotated between Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid and Yamina chief Naftali Bennett, Channel 12 news reports, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

The network says significant progress has been made in negotiations with the left-wing Meretz party and the right-wing secularist Yisrael Beytenu.

Lapid and Bennett are set to meet Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra’am party, later in the day after progress was reported yesterday on that front.

Police footage shows car pelted with rocks by Palestinians before ramming

Police release security footage of the violent incident outside the Old City, showing Palestinian rioters throwing rocks and other objects at a Jewish man’s car and trying to drag him and a passenger out of it before the driver speeds into one of them.

התיעוד המלא: הרכב של הנהג היהודי נרגם קשות באבנים והוא מאבד שליטה דורס אחד המיידים. אירוע קשה pic.twitter.com/xmW4h4CQZI

— Yossi Eli יוסי אלי (@Yossi_eli) May 10, 2021

A police officer who was nearby ran to the scene and protected the driver and a passenger, who were mildly injured, as rioters attempted to attack them.
The officer fired his pistol into the air to keep the mob away.

The driver and passenger have been taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Mount Scopus medical center for treatment. The condition of the Palestinian man who was hit by the car is not immediately known, though he can be seen in the footage walking away after the crash.

Ramallah slams ‘heinous aggression’ by Israel, mulling ‘all options’ in response

Palestinian officials condemn the “storming of Al-Aqsa” by Israeli police and vow that they will consider “all options” in response.

Israeli police entered the Temple Mount, an area revered by both Muslims and Jews, earlier this morning. They say they sought to quell a violent Palestinian riot that included stone-throwing.

“Storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a crime committed by the occupation. The Palestinian leadership is studying all options to respond to this heinous aggression against the holy sites and the citizens,” tweets senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh, one of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s closest advisers.

Khadr Adnan, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank, warns that Israel will pay a price for its “desecration.”

“The desecration of Al-Aqsa and the wounding of hundreds of those who defend it is a crime that has its price, and we are all confident in the resistance of our people,” Adnan says.

Police say 9 cops wounded, calm restored on Temple Mount

The Israel Police say relative calm has been restored at the Temple Mount after several hours of clashes with thousands of Palestinians.

Police say nine cops were injured, one of whom was taken to receive medical treatment.

“There is calm now on the Mount and Israel Police forces are at the scene and continuing to act to protect law and order,” the statement says.

Palestinians say 215 injured in Temple Mount clashes

The Palestinian Red Crescent reports 215 injuries this morning during clashes between Palestinians and police at the Temple Mount.

Around 154 Palestinians were hospitalized, of whom four are in serious condition, the first aid organization reports.

Clashes renew at Temple Mount; police said to beat journalist for Turkish agency

Clashes reportedly renew in Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, as footage emerges of Israeli police beating a detained man who has been identified as a journalist for Turkey’s state-run news agency.

The Haaretz news agency identifies the man as Fayez Abu Rumeila, a journalist for the Anadolu News Agency.

Israel has had a strained relationship with Turkey for over a decade, and Ankara has repeatedly lambasted Israel over the Jerusalem tensions in the past few weeks.

השוטרים בפעולה. נגיד שהאיש חשוד במשהו, נניח שהמשטרה חושדת בו והוא נעצר.איזה הסבר יש להתנהלות הזו ועוד בנוכחות קצין.עכשיו אמור להתחיל דיון בכנסת על בעיות בחברה הערבית ובראשם האלימות ואז ידברו על שיתוף פעולה ואימון.במשטרה צריכים להפנים סרטון כזה יפרום כל מאמץ להחזרת האימון המיוחל. pic.twitter.com/bh22ZSz3nF

— Jack khoury.جاك خوري (@KhJacki) May 10, 2021

Netanyahu backs police amid Jerusalem clashes, vows ‘freedom of worship for all’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu makes his first comments on today’s major clashes in Jerusalem and its flashpoint Temple Mount holy site.

“This is a battle between tolerance and intolerance, between lawless violence and order,” he says. “Elements that want to expropriate our rights periodically force us to stand strong, like Israel’s police officers are doing. I back the officers in this just struggle.”

“This isn’t a new struggle, it has been waged for hundreds of years,” the premier continues. “Each time, one side ruled and prevented the worship of another religion. Only Israeli sovereignty enabled freedom of worship for all.”

President Reuven Rivlin says that “today more than ever, the State of Israel respects freedom of worship and will continue to do so and stand against disruptions of order, terror activities and terror support.

“Jerusalem is dearer to us than anything. This is the time to make sure that Jerusalem is respected by all those who love it.”

Israeli driver says rioters hurled rocks at his car, lucky police came fast

The Jewish driver whose car was pelted by rocks near the Old City, causing him to ram into a Palestinian rioter, says he was trying to escape when he lost control.

Roi Mordechai tells Channel 12 news from his hospital bed that his car was attacked at one junction but he managed to escape and called police.

“When we arrived near the Lions’ Gate, on the way from our home to the Western Wall, they started hurling cinder blocks, breaking windshields, trying to open the car doors,” he says. “We tried to escape and our vehicle almost tipped over after getting on a rock on the road.”

רועי שניצל מניסיון הלינץ' בירושלים בשיחה ל-N12: "זרקו בלוקים מכל מקום. ריססו עליי גז – כל הפנים שלי שורפות"https://t.co/8ppRynqaH9 | @OrRavid pic.twitter.com/v10DwtCNAG

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) May 10, 2021

“An Arab put his hand through the window and sprayed gas — I don’t know whether it was pepper spray or tear gas,” he says. “My two friends were mildly wounded in the face from rocks. Fortunately, police were with us on the line and arrived within five minutes, or else I don’t know how it would have ended.

Mordechai says his face and hands are still burning from the gas.

“I have lived near the Old City for six years, there have never been such things as what has happened over the past month.”

Israeli baby among injured from Jerusalem clashes

Among the casualties from the clashes throughout Jerusalem is a seven-month-old Israeli baby lightly injured in the head from a rock hurled at her family’s car.

Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus says the baby girl is among seven civilians — Jewish and Arab — currently hospitalized as a result of clashes on Jerusalem Day.

Palestinians say 278 injured in Jerusalem clashes, 5 in serious condition

The Palestinian Red Crescent says that 278 Palestinians have been wounded during clashes between Palestinians and police near the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s Old City this morning.

According to the Red Crescent, 205 people have been hospitalized and five are in serious condition.

EU ‘extremely concerned’ by Jerusalem unrest, urges ‘maximum restraint’

The European Union’s envoy to the Palestinians says the bloc is “extremely concerned” by the ongoing clashes near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and calls for all sides not to resort to violence.

“We call for immediate calm, all must refrain from resorting to violence,” the European Union mission says.

Over 278 Palestinians have been wounded since clashes with Israeli police began this morning, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The first aid organization also says that Israeli forces have prevented their medical teams from reaching conflict areas.

Israel Police say at least 12 cops were injured. In addition, Israeli civilians including a seven-month-old baby have been wounded from rocks pelted at cars near the Old City.

Israeli security forces “must exercise maximum restraint and allow paramedics to enter to provide medical services to those injured. We call on all to uphold and respect the status quo of the holy sites,” the EU says.

Security agencies said recommending change to Flag March route

All of Israel’s security services recommend that police change the planned route of the so-called Flag March through the Old City of Jerusalem in order to limit the chances of direct confrontations between the participants and the Muslim residents of the city.

During a situational assessment by Israel’s political leadership, the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet security service and Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians all say they believe that the current route, which would have thousands of Jewish Israelis pass through the flashpoint Damascus Gate and Muslim Quarter, would likely result in violence.

According to Channel 12, Defense Minister Benny Gantz has accepted this position and called for the police to alter the route.

The Flag March is planned for 4 p.m. and police will hold additional meetings on the matter before announcing how they plan to proceed.

Next president to be picked on June 2 — Knesset

The Knesset announces that Israel’s next president will be picked on June 2.

A statement by the parliament spokesperson’s office says officials have thus accepted Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin’s proposed date.

It says all candidates must submit the signatures of at least ten lawmakers by May 19 at midnight.

The president, who is a largely ceremonial figure in Israel but has the power to task candidates to form a government and to grant pardons, is elected every seven years in a secret ballot among the 120 Knesset members.

Abbas slams Israel’s ‘brutal storming’ of Temple Mount, ‘assault on worshipers’

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemns Israel after violent clashes between Palestinian rioters and police at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount leave hundreds of Palestinians wounded.

“The Israeli occupation forces’ brutal storming and assault on worshipers in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards is a new challenge to the international community, especially those efforts being made by the [new] United States administration,” Abbas spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh says.

Abu Rudeineh claims that the “Israeli government has tossed out every international effort and intervention. The Palestinian leadership and our people will not allow these Israeli plans to go idly by.”

Knesset to vote on string of right-wing bills in effort to split ‘change bloc’

A series of right-wing bills will go up for a vote in the Knesset later today, in a bid by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc to split the bloc of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties trying to form a government without the incumbent premier.

The votes will put the focus on the Yamina and New Hope parties, which are right-wing but are holding advanced negotiations to form a so-called “change government.”

The bills approved to go on the agenda for preliminary readings at the recommendation of Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin (Likud) include one legalizing West Bank outposts, another enabling the Knesset to override High Court rulings, and another that enables renewed access to West Bank areas evacuated in 2005.

If any of the bills pass today’s vote, they still need to pass three more readings to become law.

But the pro-Netanyahu bloc hopes forcing the vote right now will drive a wedge between the potential coalition partners.

Hamas terror chief vows response if Israel doesn’t cease its ‘satanic plans’

Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh threatens Israel over clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians that have left hundreds wounded.

“The resistance is ready and motivated and will not stand idly by. Its word will be the final word in the battle — if the occupation does not retreat and put an end to its satanic plans,” Haniyeh says in a statement.

Palestinian Red Crescent: 305 injured in clashes, 7 in serious condition

The Palestinian Red Crescent says seven Palestinians are now in serious condition following clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in Jerusalem this morning.

A total of 305 Palestinians have been wounded during the clashes, the first aid group says.

Joint List leader backs the ‘just cause’ of East Jerusalem Palestinians

Joint List head Ayman Odeh backs East Jerusalem Palestinians as they protest and clash with Israeli police.

“The essential thing is — there is an occupation. As long as there is an occupation, there will be resistance,” Odeh tells reporters in Sheikh Jarrah.

“This resistance becomes sharpened during periods of provocation, such as what happened over the past month,” Odeh says, mentioning the pending evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah.

“Netanyahu took pride in his normalization [of diplomatic ties with several Arab countries]. But the youth of Jerusalem confirm yet again that the fundamental issue is the Palestinian cause,” Odeh says.

“Anyone who wants live in peace and security must see themselves as part of the just cause of East Jerusalem Palestinians,” Odeh says.

Joint List MK slams police for using rubber bullets to quell riots

In East Jerusalem, Joint List MKs also criticize what they deemed police brutality.

“Who made this decision? Most of the people wounded with rubber bullets, sponge bullets, were shot in the upper half of their body. I met with six people who were shot in the eye,” says MK Ahmad Tibi.

Gantz to Netanyahu: Remove outpost, settlement bills from Knesset agenda

Citing the precarious security situation, Defense Minister Benny Gantz asks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull bills legalizing outposts and enabling renewed access to West Bank areas evacuated in 2005 from the Knesset agenda.

Gantz calls for “responsible leadership” and avoiding steps that will exacerbate the tense situation.

If any of the bills pass today’s vote, they still need to pass three more readings to become law.

The pro-Netanyahu bloc hopes forcing the votes right now will drive a wedge between potential coalition partners in the so-called change bloc of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the swearing-in ceremony for the 24th Knesset, April 6, 2021. (Knesset spokesperson)

Liberman: Violence in Jerusalem, south and Meron disaster are Netanyahu’s legacy

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman blames the Netanyahu government for the violence in Jerusalem, rocket fire in the south and the Meron disaster earlier this month.

“On this holiday [Jerusalem Day] the Netanyahu government has brought us into a situation of conflagration,” Liberman says at a weekly faction meeting in the Knesset. “In the south, Jerusalem, and also [with the deadly crush] on Mount Meron — this is his legacy. If he cares for Israel or Likud, he would have recognized that he’s the obstacle [to a government] and stepped aside.”

Liberman says he is doing his utmost for the government of the so-called “change bloc” to be formed.

He says the government will be open to the ultra-Orthodox parties joining at any time, provided they accept its positions on IDF enlistment, kosher food and conversion — positions the Haredi parties won’t bend on.

Yisrael Beytenu party chairman Avigdor Liberman speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset, on May 3, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Police: Jerusalem march route won’t be changed, will go through Damascus Gate

Police have decided not to alter the route of the Jerusalem Day Flag March through Jerusalem’s Old City, despite spiraling tensions and major clashes on the Temple Mount, according to Hebrew media reports.

The route will go through Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter, as planned.

The event — set to begin at 4 p.m. — usually draws tens of thousands of young, mostly religious nationalist Israeli Jews.

The annual Old City march generally sees clashes between far-right Jews and Palestinians. This year, with tensions at a boiling point, security officials are reportedly convinced the event will be marked by violence between the sides.

Earlier, all of Israel’s security services recommended that police change the planned route of the march in order to limit the chances of direct confrontations between the participants and the Muslim residents of the city.

During a situational assessment by Israel’s political leadership, the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet security service and Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians all said they believe that the current route would likely result in violence.

According to Channel 12, Defense Minister Benny Gantz also called for the police to alter the route.

Likud refuses Gantz’s request to pull right-wing bills from Knesset agenda

Coalition whip Miki Zohar (Likud) refuses Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s request to pull from the Knesset agenda two bills relating to West Bank outposts and settlements, amid the tense security situation with the Palestinians.

Zohar says “these are very important laws for strengthening the settlements in the Land of Israel and we must not succumb to the various pressures.”

The bills call for legalizing outposts and enabling renewed access to West Bank areas evacuated in 2005. The votes on the legislation today are seen as an attempt by Likud to divide the so-called “change bloc” which is composed of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties.

Lapid: There is no line Netanyahu won’t cross to force a 5th election

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, speaking at a weekly Knesset faction meeting, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will stop at nothing to force a fifth round of elections.

“Over the past few days we’ve witnessed bile and incitement being pushed by Netanyahu’s people. Death notices about Naftali Bennett, harassing Elkin’s children, the unfathomable abuse outside Matan Kahana’s house,” says Lapid.

He adds: “There is no line that Netanyahu won’t cross to divide Israeli society and drag us to a fifth election but it’s not working. Instead of weakening us, it’s serving as a reminder why we need a unity government.”

On coalition negotiations, Lapid says a government of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties removing Netanyahu from power can be sworn in within days.

“The remaining gaps aren’t wide. We can swear-in a new government in a few days. A new, functioning government based on wide-ranging agreements,” he says.

“Israel needs to know that there is a new generation of leaders who don’t think about their own interests. The public won’t forgive anyone who prevents the formation of a new government just because they insist on getting another ministry.”

Far-right MKs arrive in Sheikh Jarrah amid sky-high tensions

Ultranationalist Israeli MKs Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir arrive in the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, accompanied by a group of supporters.

Smotrich blames recent clashes in Jerusalem between Palestinians and Israeli police on the expected participation of Arab parties in the next government.

“When I move around in Jerusalem and see the [Palestinian] nationalist arrogance, the uprising, the rejection of the Jewish state… the penny should drop,” Smotrich says.

Palestinian demonstrators, including Arab Israeli MKs, chant “Jerusalem is Arab” farther down the street.

Smotrich calls the decision to delay a hearing that could have evicted four Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah “an enormous disgrace.”

“The police have abandoned Jerusalem,” Ben-Gvir adds.

סמוטריץ וסיעת הציונות הדתית בשייח ג׳ראח pic.twitter.com/xv0RPJR8VH

— יאיר שרקי (@yaircherki) May 10, 2021

Labor leader says ready to clinch coalition deal with ‘change bloc’

Channel 12 reports “significant progress” in coalition talks with the Labor party.

Labor party leader Merav Michaeli is expected to be offered a “senior economic” ministerial portfolio and a second “significant portfolio,” in exchange for joining the coalition of the so-called “change bloc” of Netanyahu’s rivals.

The report does not specify which offices are being offered.

Michaeli, speaking at a Labor faction meeting, says she’s ready to sign a coalition agreement today.

“We have made concessions that no other party has made. We’ve come a long way. And we are ready to close [the deal] as soon as today,” she says.

Labor party leader MK Merav Michaeli speaks during a meeting in Tel Aviv, March 24, 2021. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

Jerusalem District Court evacuated over security concerns

The Jerusalem District Court has been evacuated in light of security concerns, amid ongoing riots in the capital.

Security guards will remain at the courthouse, but all other occupants have been removed.

Earlier in the day, the court hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, but the hearing ended over an hour before the evacuation.

The court is located in East Jerusalem.

IDF sending reinforcements to Gaza border after rocket attack

The Israel Defense Forces says it is sending reinforcements to the Gaza Division out of concern for an escalation of violence there.

The move comes after a rocket attack earlier this morning and ongoing threats from terror groups in the Strip.

A military spokesperson says the elite Maglan Unit and two companies from the IDF Officers School will be sent to the area.

Illustrative: IDF forces seen gathering near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on November 13, 2018. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Syrian reports: Israeli helicopter bombs site near Khadr, injuring 1

Syrian media reports that an Israeli helicopter bombed a site near the Syrian Golan town of Khadr, injuring one person.

The IDF refuses to comment on the matter.

Palestinians and Arab MKs scuffle with police in Sheikh Jarrah

Palestinians and Arab Israelis, including MKs, scuffle with police as they seek to clear a path for far-right Jewish MKs in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem.

Far-right MKs Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are visiting the flashpoint neighborhood ahead of today’s Jerusalem Day march.

“Intifada, your generation is here,” some demonstrators chant. “Israel is the source of the terrorism.”

The Jewish MKs make it through, as police form a line to prevent friction between the two sides.

Tlaib accuses Israel of ‘attack’ on Al-Aqsa, ‘forced population replacement’

Democrat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, accuses Israel of “attacking” the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount on Ramadan, in an affront to Muslims.

“This is equivalent to attacking the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, or the Temple Mount for Jews. Israel attacks it during Ramadan. Where’s the outrage, @POTUS,” she tweets.

I was 7 years old when I first prayed at the Al Aqsa with my sity. It's a sacred site for Muslims. This is equivalent to attacking the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, or the Temple Mount for Jews.

Israel attacks it during Ramadan. Where's the outrage @POTUS? https://t.co/Q4gGBrCOof

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 10, 2021

She also calls for the US to condition aid to Israel — or end it altogether — over alleged human rights violations against Palestinians.

“330 (75%) of my colleagues, Ds&Rs, pledged not to condition the $billions we send to Israel’s army. Days later, the apartheid state resumed forced population replacement in #SheikhJarrah,” she says, referring to the legal dispute over houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood that is being waged in Israeli courts.

“Now we see grenades, bullets, and tear gas shot into Al-Aqsa. American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations. Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel, and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed. Statements aren’t working @SecBlinken. Enough is enough.”

Tlaib makes no mention of the massive Palestinian riots on the Temple Mount or the Jewish legal claims to the properties in Sheikh Jarrah that are being discussed in court.

American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations. Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel, and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed. Statements aren't working @SecBlinken.

Enough is enough.

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 10, 2021

Mortar shell fired from Gaza falls inside enclave

Palestinian terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip fire a mortar shell toward southern Israel, but the projectile fails to clear the border and lands within the enclave, the military says.

As the shell was not heading toward a populated area, the launch did not trigger an alarm, but a notification was sent to cellphones in the area.

6 fires break out in south from Gaza incendiary balloons

Six wildfires have broken out in the Eshkol and Shaar HaNegev regions adjacent to the Gaza Strip, sparked by incendiary balloons from the coastal enclave.

Firefighters say the blazes are under control and most were small.

Lapid-Bennett-Abbas meeting said pushed off

A meeting scheduled for this afternoon between Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett has been postponed, Hebrew media reports say. No reason is given.

200 Palestinians gather at Damascus Gate ahead of Flag March

Around 200 Palestinians gather under the shadow of Damascus Gate, waiting for the expected “Flag March” to arrive.

“Settlers, out, out,” they chant. “We’ll march to Al-Aqsa by the millions.”

According to a schedule online, the march is scheduled to pass through Damascus Gate at 5:30 p.m.

Netanyahu to convene security cabinet over Jerusalem, south tensions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the high-level security cabinet in an hour to discuss the riots in Jerusalem and rocket fire at southern Israel, his office says.

Jerusalem Day Flag March begins

The Jerusalem Day Flag March begins in the capital.

The march is expected to pass through Old City flashpoints, including Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter.

Amid Gaza tensions, train service halted in south

Israel Railways says it’s stopping train service from the southern city of Ashkelon to Beersheba and temporarily closing the stops in Sderot, Ofakim, Netivot, amid heightened tensions surrounding the Gaza Strip.

The last stop on the Herzliya-Beersheba route is now Ashkelon, it announces.

Backtracking, police say Flag March won’t pass through Damascus Gate

In an about-face, police say the Jerusalem Day Flag March won’t pass through the Old City’s Damascus Gate and Muslim Quarter.

The last-minute decision comes as the annual march is already underway.

The alternate route will see the Jerusalem Day marchers redirected through Jaffa Gate to the Western Wall.

Earlier, all of Israel’s security services recommended that police change the planned route of the march in order to limit the chances of direct confrontations between the participants and the Muslim residents of the city.

During a situational assessment by Israel’s political leadership, the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet security service and Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians all said they believe that the current route would likely result in violence.

According to Channel 12, Defense Minister Benny Gantz also called for the police to alter the route.

But police said they weren’t planning on changing the route, before backtracking hours later.

IDF closes off roads around Gaza Strip; hospitals said on high alert

The military announces it is closing down a number of roads and sites around the Gaza Strip, as well as train service in the area, fearing that they may come under attack shortly.

The IDF halted train service between Beersheba and Ashkelon, closed Zikim beach just north of the Strip, and barred visitors from lookout points on hilltops near the Gaza border.

In addition, the military closes off the Route 4 highway from Zikim to Kibbutz Nir Am, the Route 34 highway from Yad Mordechai to Kibbutz Erez, and the Route 232 highway from Mefalsim to the Kfar Aza Junction.

“We stress that you should not stop on the shoulders of the roadways during travel through the Gaza periphery for personal safety reasons,” the military says.

According to the Ynet news site, hospitals have been placed on high alert for attacks around the country.

Amid unrest, IDF postpones its largest drill in decades

The Israeli military announces it is postponing a massive exercise that began this week, in light of the current unrest in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

The drill, known as “Chariots of Fire,” was meant to be the military’s largest exercise in decades, involving effectively all units of the IDF.

“Following a situational assessment, Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi decided to postpone the ‘Chariots of Fire’ exercise for at least the next day and ordered the IDF to focus its efforts on preparation and readiness for the possible scenarios of escalating [violence],” the military says.

Netanyahu, Gantz huddle with top defense brass on security situation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz are briefed by top security officials on the security situation in Jerusalem and southern Israel.

Also attending the meeting are the IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi; Nadav Argaman, the head of the Shin Bet security service; Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai; National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat; Public Security Minister Amir Ohana and others.

Netanyahu said to have ordered Flag March redirected from flashpoints; Ohana opposed

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Jerusalem Day Flag March redirected from the Old City’s Damascus Gate, Israeli officials tell Hebrew media.

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana opposed the move, according to the Kan public broadcaster. The change was announced as the parade was already underway.

Channel 12 says Netanyahu made the decision on the basis of IDF and Shin Bet assessments, and “imposed” it on the police.

Police disperse hundreds of Palestinians at Old City’s Damascus Gate

Police disperse hundreds of Palestinians from Damascus Gate with sound grenades after a number of Palestinians begin to scuffle with an undercover police officer in the crowd.

Hamas to Israel: Pull troops from Temple Mount, Sheikh Jarrah by 6 p.m.

The Hamas terror group issues an ultimatum to Israel, warning it will attack if the Jewish state does not withdraw its security forces from the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood by 6 p.m.

It also calls for detained Palestinians in the Jerusalem riots to be freed by that time.

The terror organization does not elaborate on its planned response.

The army is on high alert along the Gaza border.

Flag March organizers say they’re calling off event, but participants march on

The organizers of the Jerusalem Day Flag March say they’re calling off the parade, which is already underway, Army Radio reports.

The move is in protest of the government decision to redirect the march to avoid Damascus Gate.

But it’s not clear whether the participants making their way through the Old City are aware of the decision.

The latter part of the event, a ceremony at the Western Wall, is apparently still on.

Israel changes flight routes over Hamas threat — TV

Israel has adjusted flight routes after the Hamas terror group’s threat to attack, Channel 12 says in an unsourced report.

Netanyahu met with Ra’am chief last week, urged him not to back Lapid-Bennett gov’t

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas last week, in an effort to persuade him not to support a government led by Yamina’s Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid.

Netanyahu’s office declines to comment on the meeting.

Separately, Abbas was scheduled to sit down this afternoon with Lapid and Bennett, but that meeting was delayed.

Sources in Yamina and Yesh Atid say there is no connection between the postponement and Abbas’s meeting with Netanyahu.

A combination image showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) casting his vote in the Knesset election in Jerusalem on March 23, 2021 (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL) and Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas at the party headquarters in Tamra on election night, March 23, 2021. (Flash90)

Ashkelon opens public bomb shelters

The city of Ashkelon opens all its public bomb shelters after terror groups in the Gaza Strip threaten to attack Israel unless security forces are removed from parts of Jerusalem.

The move is made at the discretion of the mayor, not as a result of a direct request from the military.

“Despite the fact that we have not received an official request to do so, we decided to act on this issue out of an abundance of caution,” Mayor Tomer Glam says.

Israel said anticipating rocket fire at central Israel; air traffic diverted away from Gaza

Israel is preparing for the possibility that rockets will be fired from the Gaza Strip at central Israel tonight, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

Air traffic in and out of Israel has been diverted away from the Gaza Strip in light of concerns that terror groups in the enclave may fire rockets toward Israel.

Planes entering and leaving Israel are doing so through flightpaths to the north of Ben Gurion International Airport.

Erdogan speaks to Abbas and Hamas chief amid Temple Mount violence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows to mobilize the world to stop Israeli “terror,” in phone calls placed to Palestinian leaders during a surge in violence in Jerusalem.

More than 300 people were reported wounded in clashes Monday between Palestinians and Israeli police at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Erdogan places separate calls to Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to denounce Israel’s actions and extend support.

The Turkish leader pledged “he will do everything in his power to mobilize the world, starting with the Islamic world, to stop Israel’s terror and occupation,” his office says.

All quiet (so far) in Old City during Flag March

The Jerusalem Day Flag March is proceeding peacefully through the capital’s Old City, with no reports thus far of clashes between Jews and Palestinians after the route was diverted to avoid flashpoint areas.

Rocket sirens sound in Jerusalem

Rocket alert sirens sound in Jerusalem.

6 rockets said fired from Gaza at Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh

Six rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip at the Jerusalem area, Channel 12 reports.

The army does not immediately confirm the information.

There are no reports of injuries or damage.

The Hamas terror group threatened to attack Israel if Israeli security forces weren’t removed from parts of the capital.

IDF checking if projectile fell in town near Jerusalem

The army is checking whether a rocket fell in an inhabited area near Jerusalem, Channel 12 reports.

צבע אדום ופיצוצים בירושלים. pic.twitter.com/MdDvjSUxCt

— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) May 10, 2021

The rocket fire is met with cheers by Palestinians at the Old City’s Damascus Gate.

Car hit by anti-tank missile near Gaza; no injuries

An anti-tank missile fired from Gaza hit an Israeli car across the border, reports say.

There are no injuries. The car has been set on fire.

Hamas claims rocket fire at Jerusalem

Hamas’ military wing says it struck Jerusalem in response to Israel’s “crimes and aggression in the Holy City, and its harassment of our people in Sheikh Jarrah and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

“This is a message that the enemy should understand well,” says a spokesperson for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Jerusalem police evacuating Old City after rocket fire

Jerusalem Police say they have begun evacuating people from the Old City of Jerusalem in light of the rocket attack at the capital from Gaza.

“Police forces at the Western Wall have begun to evacuate those in the area to safer locations,” the police say.

Knesset plenum evacuated over rocket fire; MKs return a few minutes later

The Knesset plenum was evacuated as rocket sirens sounded in Jerusalem.

#breaking Israel Knesset plenum evicted as siren sound all over Jerusalem (credit: Tal Schneider @TimesofIsrael ) pic.twitter.com/7b5440SSWA

— ‏Tal Schneider טל שניידר تال شنايدر (@talschneider) May 10, 2021

MKs had been holding a session the allied victory over Nazi Germany.

Lawmakers returned to the plenum a short while later.

MKs return to the Knesset plenum, having been briefly evacuated when Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, May 10, 2021 (Tal Schneider / Times of Israel)

Rocket from Gaza apparently fell in field near Beit Nekofa

One of the rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip appears to have landed in an open field near the moshav of Beit Nekofa outside Jerusalem.

The projectile does not appear to have caused any damage or injuries.

Rocket alert sirens sound in Gaza border communities

Fresh incoming rocket sirens sound in Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.

The alarms are heard in the town of Sderot and surrounding communities in the Sha’ar Hanegev region of southern Israel.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Islamic Jihad claims anti-tank fire on Gaza border

An anti-tank guided missile is fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel, the Israel Defense Forces confirms.

It is not immediately clear if the missile caused injuries or damage.

The IDF says it is looking into the matter.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group claims the attack.

Rocket alert sirens also triggered in Ashkelon area

A fresh round of rocket sirens is triggered in the city of Ashkelon and surrounding communities, the military says.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

House said damaged in Jerusalem suburb

Channel 12 airs a photo of a house in Mevasseret Zion, a suburb of Jerusalem, which sustained some damage from the rocket fire.

A window in the house was apparently shattered by rocket debris.

Islamic Jihad says it fired 30 rockets at Sderot

The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad terror group, announces that it has launched 30 rockets at Sderot today.

The Israeli army has yet to confirm how many rockets hit Israeli territory.

IDF: 7 rockets were fired at Jerusalem area, 1 was intercepted

Palestinian terrorists fired seven rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Jerusalem, the Israel Defense Forces says.

One of the projectiles was intercepted by Israeli air defenses, the military says. The rest seem to have landed in open areas.

More rocket sirens in Sderot

A fresh round of rocket sirens sound in the town of Sderot and nearby communities in the Sha’ar Hanegev region of southern Israel.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Sirens in Gaza border communities signal 4th barrage in half an hour

Fresh rocket sirens sound in Israeli communities near the Gaza border.

The alarms are heard in the town of Sderot and nearby communities in the Sha’ar Hanegev region.

This is the fourth barrage of rockets aimed at this area in the past 30 minutes.

Israeli man lightly hurt by anti-tank fire from Gaza on his car

The Israel Defense Forces says an Israeli man was lightly hurt by anti-tank fire aimed at his car in the Gaza border area.

The man, a civilian, has been taken to a hospital for treatment.

According to the army, he was in the vehicle at the time of the attack.

Lapid, Bennett, Sa’ar say they’ll back government’s response to Hamas rocket fire

In tweets, potential coalition partners Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett and New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar back a strong military response to the Hamas rocket fire at Israel.

“We will support the actions of the government in the war against Israel’s enemies,” tweets Lapid, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu’s transitional government.

Bennett and Sa’ar also say they’ll back the government’s response.

Palestinian reports: IDF striking Gaza, 3 children killed in raids

Palestinian media reports that the Israeli Air Force has begun conducting airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip in response to ongoing rocket attacks from the enclave.

There are unconfirmed reports in Gaza of three fatalities — all children — in the Israeli strikes.

A spokesperson for Hamas’ Health Ministry says he cannot confirm or deny the incident as of yet.

US State Department bans staff from Jerusalem’s Old City

The US Department bans its diplomatic staff in Jerusalem from entering the Old City until Sunday.

“Embassy personnel in East Jerusalem and City Center advised to remain indoors from 7PM-8AM,” it says.

#Jerusalem: Due to recent violent confrontations, upcoming celebrations, and commemorations, the Old City is off-limits to embassy personnel through 8AM on May 16. Embassy personnel in East Jerusalem and City Center advised to remain indoors from 7PM-8AM. https://t.co/kSrxnCl4W7 pic.twitter.com/0792G2QP21

— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) May 10, 2021

Israeli civilian hurt by anti-tank missile sustains shrapnel wounds — medics

The Israeli civilian who was injured in the anti-tank missile attack sustained shrapnel wounds to his face and extremities, medics say.

He has been taken to Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center for treatment.

Watch: Israelis take cover in Jerusalem’s Old City amid rocket sirens

Footage emerges from the Old City during the rocket sirens an hour ago, showing participants in the Jerusalem Day Flag March running for cover.

Rocket sirens sound at Jaffa Gate in #Jerusalem, schoolchildren seek cover against old city walls #TempleMount #JerusalemDay #JerusalemUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/bxbza0gMCh

— Lazar Berman (@Lazar_Berman) May 10, 2021

Residents of southern town told to stay indoors amid fears of infiltration from Gaza

Residents of a community in the Sha’ar Hanegev region are told to go into their houses and lock the doors amid concerns that terrorists may have entered the area from the Gaza Strip.

For security reasons, the name of the community has not been released.

Jerusalem Day celebrations back on after rocket fire

Following a security assessment, police say Jerusalem Day celebrations in the Old City can continue, despite rocket fire at the capital from Gaza.

Earlier, police had canceled the events and said they were clearing the area.

Additional sirens sound in Gaza border towns

Rocket alert sirens are sounding in Gaza border communities, including Netiv HaAsara, Nahal Oz, and Sderot.

Israeli TV: 3 Gaza kids killed by rocket launch gone awry, not Israeli strike

An Israeli television report counters Palestinian media reports that say three children in Gaza were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The IDF says the deaths of the children were the result of a Gaza rocket launch at Israel “that went wrong,” Channel 12 reports.

Schools canceled Tuesday in Gaza border areas, parts of Negev

The IDF’s Home Front Command unveils restrictions in some areas of southern Israel, following the heavy rocket fire from Gaza.

Until Tuesday evening at 6 p.m, in the designated areas: No more than 10 people can be gathered outdoors and no more than 50 indoors; businesses are only allowed to open if people can quickly reach bomb shelters; schools are canceled.

This applies to the Gaza periphery, western and central Negev, southern Shfela region, Lachish.

Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.

9 said killed in Gaza in IDF strikes; Israel said to deny it’s behind 3 kids’ deaths

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports nine “martyrs,” namely fatalities, including three children.

The deaths were confirmed at Beit Hanoun hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says.

According to Channel 12, the IDF is denying responsibility for the kids’ deaths, saying they were killed in a rocket launch at Israel that went awry.

The announcement comes as Palestinian media reports say Israel is carrying out retaliatory raids in Gaza following the rocket fire on Jerusalem and southern Israel. The IDF has yet to confirm.

One of the fatalities is a Hamas officer, Channel 12 says.

Jordan protesters call for ouster of Israeli envoy in Amman

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold angry protests in Amman demanding an end to Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel, following clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in Jerusalem.

Waving Palestinian and Jordanian flags, a crowd of over 1,500 people including both Islamist party supporters and leftist activists demand the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.

The protesters are kept back from the embassy and behind a security cordon.

They carry banners reading: “No embassy, no ambassador” and “What was taken by force can only be returned by force.”

Jordan’s 1994 treaty with the Jewish state was “not peace, it’s capitulation,” they chant.

“Expel the embassy, expel the ambassador!”

Some also burn an Israeli flag to cries of “Death to Israel.”

IDF: Gaza fighting likely to continue several days

The Israel Defense Forces says the current round of violence will likely last at least several days as it begins conducting airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, after dozens of rockets were fired at Israel from the enclave, including at Jerusalem.

“In the next few days, Hamas will feel the long arm of the [Israeli] army. It won’t take a few minutes, it will take a few days,” says IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman.

The spokesman says the military is preparing for a wide range of possibilities, including a wider conflict with a ground operation, as well as a return of targeted killings of top terrorist leaders.

“Everything is on the table,” Zilberman says.

Zilberman confirms that the IDF has conducted airstrikes on rocket-launching cells, killing at least three people. The Gaza Health Ministry says that nine people have been killed so far in Israeli airstrikes, including three children. The IDF spokesman says he would not comment officially on the matter, though other Israeli officials have said that the minors were killed as a result of failed rocket launch from the Strip.

Palestinian media reports that one of the people killed in the Israeli strikes was a senior Hamas member, which Zilberman says he cannot confirm.

According to the IDF, a number of terror groups have taken part in the rocket attacks on Israel, but the military ultimately holds the Hamas terror group, the de facto ruler of Gaza, responsible for the violence.

“We have a clear address: that is Hamas. The group will pay a dear price for its actions. we will respond fiercely,” Zilberman says.

TV: Ra’am suspends talks with Netanyahu rivals over Gaza, Jerusalem hostilities

The Islamist Ra’am party is pausing its political negotiations with Benjamin Netanyahu’s rivals in the so-called “change bloc” on its potential support for their government until the security situation settles down, Channel 12 reports.

IDF gives all-clear after fears of Gaza infiltration

The Israel Defense Forces says there is no longer concern that terrorists may have infiltrated into the Sha’ar Hanegev region of southern Israel.

Earlier, residents of the community were told to go indoors and lock their doors.

IDF releases footage of strike on Hamas members launching rockets

The Israel Defense Forces releases footage of its strike on three Hamas members who it says were launching rockets toward Israel.

UN Security Council statement on Jerusalem held up by US reluctance to back it

Hesitation from the US mission to the United Nations prevented the release of a joint statement by the Security Council’s members on the ongoing escalations in Jerusalem, after the top UN body held an emergency meeting on the subject earlier Monday, a diplomat involved tells The Times of Israel.

During the meeting, the Norwegian mission introduced a joint statement condemning all violence in the holy city and urging both sides to act to restore calm, the Security Council official says. Several amendments were made to the statement, including one that mentioned the firing of rockets and incendiary devices by Gaza Palestinians at Israel.

Fourteen of the 15 members backed the latest draft of the statement, but it failed to move forward after the US asked for more time to deliberate the matter, the  diplomat says.

The Monday morning session featured an update from UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland, and was followed by reactions from various member states, which largely fell in line with their traditional stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The US and UK representatives present made a point of highlighting violence coming out of Gaza in addition to condemning Israeli crackdowns on protesters in Jerusalem and the looming evictions of Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, two diplomats say.

Ministers said to approve massive aerial bombardment on Gaza

Ministers in the high-level security cabinet approved a massive aerial bombardment on Gaza following the rocket fire, but not a ground incursion, the Ynet news site reports.

“Hamas must be dealt a heavy blow, and yet, everyone understands our limitations,” an Israeli official tells the site. “We have no desire for large wars.”

The official expresses hope the escalation of hostilities will be over in two or three days.

Islamic Jihad threatens to renew rocket fire at 9 p.m.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group threatens to renew rocket fire from Gaza on Israel at 9 p.m., in an hour.

Police chief: We showed ‘too much restraint’ on Temple Mount

Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai says his officers showed “too much restraint” in responding to the Palestinian rioters on the Temple Mount.

He says Israel will toughen its policy vis-a-vis the “law-breakers” in the coming days.

He makes the comments in an interview with Channel 12, hours after over 300 Palestinians and 21 cops were hurt in violent clashes at the Jerusalem holy site.

Israel is getting ready to “take the gloves off,” says the police chief.

Israeli Police Chief Kobi Shabtai on January 8, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

More rocket sirens sound in Gaza border towns

Incoming rocket alert sirens are triggered in Gaza border towns, as the rocket fire from the Strip on southern Israel continues.

The sirens are heard in Sderot and surrounding towns, as well as the communities of Holit and Sufa, east of the southern Gaza Strip, which have not been targeted until now.

Tree on Temple Mount catches fire from fireworks

Dramatic images emerge from the Western Wall, as flames are seen above from the Temple Mount after a tree is apparently set on fire in the compound.

תיעוד: אש בהר הבית@AkivaWeisz pic.twitter.com/R6xyO6NP8v

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

עץ עלה באש בהר הבית, רחבת הכותל מפונה@SuleimanMas1 @AkivaWeisz pic.twitter.com/eViJ9IoZtN

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

The police say the fire on the Temple Mount appears to have been started by fireworks that were launched at it.

Police say officers are on the scene and are working to extinguish the blaze.

The Temple Mount is now literally ablaze as a tree catches fire at the holy site.

Police say it appears to have been started after people launched fireworks at it. pic.twitter.com/gZnD2sojgK

— Judah Ari Gross (@JudahAriGross) May 10, 2021

Analyst and former general Amos Yadlin, speaking to Channel 12, warns that the photograph could be easily taken out of context and used to fan further unrest against Israel.

Photos emerge of rocket damage to homes near Jerusalem

Below are photos showing the damage to homes near Jerusalem as a result of the Gaza rocket fire earlier this evening. There were no injuries.

An Israeli man checks debris at a house on the outskirts of Jerusalem where a rocket, fired from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian terror group Hamas, fell on May 10, 2021. (Gil COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)

An Israeli boy checks debris at a house on the outskirts of Jerusalem where a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian terror group Hamas, fell on May 10, 2021. (Gil COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)

An Israeli man checks debris at a house on the outskirts of Jerusalem where a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian terror group Hamas, fell on May 10, 2021. (Gil COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)

Islamic Jihad releases footage of anti-tank missile attack

The Islamic Jihad terror group releases footage of its anti-tank missile attack on Israeli car near Gaza earlier today.

An Israeli civilian was lightly hurt in the attack.

US diplomat in Jerusalem condemns ‘unacceptable’ rocket fire

US Chargé d’Affairs in Jerusalem Jonathan Shrier condemns the Gaza rocket fire on Israel, calling it “unacceptable.”

We unequivocally condemn rocket attacks from Gaza towards south and central Israel, including Jerusalem. This is unacceptable.

— Chargé d’Affaires Jonathan Shrier (@USAmbIsrael) May 10, 2021

Netanyahu: Israel will respond ‘with great force’ to Gaza rockets

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows a forceful response to the Gaza rocket fire.

“Israel will respond with great force. We will not tolerate attacks on our territory, our capital, our citizens, or our soldiers,” says Netanyahu.

“Those who attack us will pay a heavy price,” says Netanyahu, adding that Israel does not seek an escalation of hostilities.

He says the current round of fighting may last “some time.”

Rocket sirens sound in Kerem Shalom

Fresh sirens sound in the community of Kerem Shalom, east of southern Gaza.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Kerem Shalom has been targeted a number of times throughout the evening by mortar shells, most of which have fallen short of the border or landed near the security fence.

Hamas says it’ll respond if Israel strikes civilian structures in Gaza

As the Israeli military gears up for an expected air offensive in the Gaza Strip, Hamas’s armed wing warns that it will respond should civilian homes or infrastructure be damaged.

“We warn the Zionist enemy that if it strikes civilian installations or homes belong to our people in Gaza, our response will be strong and painful and beyond the enemy’s expectations,” a spokesperson for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam brigades says.

Knesset gives preliminary approval to bill legalizing outposts

The Knesset approves a bill that would legalize West Bank outposts.

The proposed legislation clears its preliminary vote 43-30.

It would require three more votes to become law.

Rocket sirens, explosions heard in Ashkelon

A fresh round of rocket sirens sounds in the city of Ashkelon and surrounding communities.

This comes after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group threatened to carry out an attack at 9 p.m.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Residents report hearing the sounds of explosions.

According to TV reports, at least 10 rockets were fired at the city. This is not immediately confirmed by the army.

Clashes between Palestinians and police on Temple Mount resume

Palestinians have resumed clashing with Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount, according to Palestinian media.

The Palestinian Red Crescent says 334 Palestinians have been wounded so far today in clashes in the Old City with Israeli police. Around 258 of those were hospitalized, the first aid organization says.

Seven are still in serious condition, with some undergoing surgery, according to the Red Crescent.

EU: Rocket fire on Israel ‘totally unacceptable and needs to stop’

European Union Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret says he is “extremely concerned” by spiraling tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

The EU diplomat also condemns rocket fire on Israel from the Gaza Strip as “totally unacceptable.”

Extremely concerned by today’s violence in East Jerusalem. The firing of rockets from Gaza to Israel is totally unacceptable and needs to stop. We need immediate deescalation to step back from the brink and protect civilians.

— Emanuele Giaufret (@EGiaufretEU) May 10, 2021

With Israel under fire, Netanyahu to skip Jerusalem Day event at yeshiva

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be attending Jerusalem Day celebrations at the Merkaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem on Monday night, following the Gaza rocket fire, Hebrew reports say.

The prime minister is heading to Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv for security briefings.

UK denounces rocket fire, urges ‘immediate de-escalation on all sides’

Britain condemns the firing of rockets at Jerusalem and other locations within Israel, calling for “immediate de-escalation on all sides.”

“The UK condemns the firing of rockets at Jerusalem and locations within Israel. The ongoing violence in Jerusalem and Gaza must stop,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweets.

“We need an immediate de-escalation on all sides, and end to targeting of civilian populations.”

In central Israel, only schools, businesses with bomb shelters to open Tuesday

The IDF Home Front Command says schools in central Israel will only open tomorrow if shelters are readily accessible.

The same holds for workplaces.

Outdoor gatherings in central Israel are limited to 30 outdoors, 50 indoors.

The rules are in effect until Tuesday evening.

Palestinians renew clashes at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate

Palestinians are clashing with Israeli security forces at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate.

Altercations are also reported on the Temple Mount.

IDF confirms airstrikes in Gaza, says 8 Hamas operatives targeted

The Israel Defense Forces says it has bombed a number of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to the ongoing rocket attacks from the enclave, including eight members of the terror group who were launching projectiles at Israel.

The military says it also struck two rocket launchpads and two observation posts belonging to the terror group.

Fresh rocket volley aimed at Gaza periphery

Fresh rocket sirens sound in several communities near the Gaza border, including Sderot.

Channel 12 news reports that at least one rocket was intercepted by Iron Dome.

Hamas says nine minors among 20 Gazans killed

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 20 people have been killed in the day’s fighting, including nine minors.

It says another 65 are suffering injuries from IDF strikes on the Strip.

Rocket sirens sound in Ashkelon area

Fresh sirens sound in the city of Ashkelon and surrounding communities as terrorists in the Gaza Strip continue firing rocket barrages into southern Israel.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Major rocket volley fired at south

Rocket sirens are heard in several Israeli communities near the Gaza border at the same time as what appears to a major volley of missiles is fired out of the Strip.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that at least 10 rockets were fired, most or all of them shot down.

In Sderot, shrapnel causes damage to a street.

Bomb shelters open up in Tel Aviv area

The city of Tel Aviv and a number of suburbs, including Rishon Lezion and Ramat Gan, have announced that they are opening public bomb shelters amid growing fears that central Israel may also be targeted by rocket fire.

This is in light of recent instructions issued by the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command.

New salvo of rockets fired at Ashkelon area

A large barrage of rockets is shot at the Ashkelon area.

There are no reports of injury or damage. Videos appear to show several of the rockets being intercepted.

תיעוד: יירוט של כיפת ברזל במטח האחרון על אשקלון@pozailov1
(צילום: אייקון אשקלון) pic.twitter.com/nEyx6JVqic

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

Ashkelon, located just north of the Gaza Strip and home to more 130,000 residents, has been targeted by regular attacks for the past four hours.

Egypt reportedly attempting to broker calm

Egyptian mediators are making significant efforts to broker a ceasefire and restore calm, given a major flare-up of violence between Israel and Gaza, the Kan broadcaster reports, citing an unnamed defense source.

The station reports that other bodies, including the UN, are also involved in the efforts.

Beersheba hospital moves patients to reinforced wards

Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center has begun moving patients to fortified wards, in light of the ongoing rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, the hospital says.

A Soroka spokesperson says the hospital has also opened an emergency command center and has put all critical staff on stand-by.

Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center has similarly begun operating on an emergency basis, moving premature babies to a special underground ward and canceling all non-critical procedures.

Amid flareup, Blinken says ‘all sides’ need to calm down

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging both Israel and the Palestinians to lower tensions and calling for an immediate end to rocket fire by Hamas.

“All sides need to de-escalate, reduce tensions, take practical steps to calm things down,” Blinken says, as he met his Jordanian counterpart in Washington.

Arab Israelis protest across country, several clash with cops

Arab Israelis have renewed protests in cities and towns across Israel on Monday evening. Some of the protests turn into clashes with police, leading to at least 15 arrests.

Arab Israelis have been protesting Israeli policies and actions in Jerusalem, specifically what they deem aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the flashpoint holy site left hundreds wounded today.

Thousands demonstrate in Nazareth, Haifa, Shfaram, Segev Shalom and in smaller towns such as Eksal, Kafr Manda, and Nahaf. In Nazareth, some demonstrators shot fireworks; in Haifa, others burned trash cans.

According to police, demonstrators threw rocks, launched fireworks, and hurled bottles at the various demonstrations.

In Kafr Kanna, a Jewish Israeli who entered the town was “violently attacked” by some residents before others ushered him away.

A video shows him being hustled away as a man attempts to kick him.

אזרח יהודי שנכנס עם רכבו לכפר כנא הותקף באלימות, אך חולץ על ידי תושבים אחרים של היישוב. לרכבו נגרם נזק רב
(אורלי אלקלעי) pic.twitter.com/KHCo9WILw3

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

His car was damaged, the Kan Public Broadcaster reported, based on a video circulating on social media.

Initial reports also indicated serious unrest in Ramle and Lod, including stone-throwing at local buses.

Israeli jets strike Hamas tunnel in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces says its fighter jets have just bombed a Hamas attack tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip.

A number of Hamas members were believed to be inside the tunnel at the time of the strike.

It is not immediately clear if the tunnel crossed into Israeli territory.

Damage from rocket, stones and fireworks

A spokesperson for Sderot says a home suffered minor damage after a rocket landed on the street outside. Over 100 rockets have been fired at Israel today alone, according to Hebrew media reports.

In Ramle, a video purports to show a bus that was stoned and had all its windows smashed.

תיעוד: האוטובוס שנרגם באבנים ברמלה@hadasgrinberg https://t.co/GbXNgMjR8S pic.twitter.com/I4uBZnp6WB

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

In Kafr Manda, rioters are seen, in footage shared online, shooting fireworks at a police station.

ירי זיקוקים לעבר תחנת המשטרה בהפגנה בכפר מנדא@CBeyar pic.twitter.com/EPUjuirE8b

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

Hamas to Israel: If you keep firing, so will we

Hamas’s military wing says that Israeli responses to Hamas rocket fire will provoke more attacks from the Gaza Strip, but also appears to hint that it will stop firing missile if Israel ends its bombing campaign.

“Jerusalem called us, and we answered its call. If you continue, so will we,” the military wing says in the statement.

IDF: Iron Dome downs all rockets fired at Ashkelon

The Israel Defense Forces says the Iron Dome missile defense system shot down all of the incoming rockets fired at the city of Ashkelon in the latest barrage from the Gaza Strip.

Video footage from the scene shows at least six interceptions in the skies over the city.

Video from Ashkelon in the recent barrage of rokcets launched from #Gaza showing multiple interceptions. pic.twitter.com/17NghIJcmM

— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) May 10, 2021

Gantz says Israel will keep hitting Gaza to ‘restore quiet’

Defense Minister Benny Gantz says Israel plans to conduct a series of strikes against Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip in order to “restore long-term and complete quiet” in response to ongoing rocket attacks from the enclave.
In a video statement, Gantz blames Hamas for the violence and denies the terror group’s claims that Israel has harassed worshipers on the Temple Mount.

“I would like to emphasize that the State of Israel has done everything and will do everything to protect freedom of worship. Hamas, which is targeting a civilian population, is the sole party responsible,” Gantz says.

The defense minister threatens the terror group’s leadership and says the military will continue conducting strikes until it has fulfilled its mission.

Fire billows from Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, on May 10, 2021. (MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)

“Over the past few weeks, the security cabinet has been convening, and we have held a series of consultations and situational assessments, on the basis of which we authorized today a number of offensive strikes that will hit Hamas and other terrorist organizations hard. These are strikes that will ensure Israel’s security and restore long-term and complete quiet,” Gantz says.

“The organization and its leaders will be held responsible and pay the price for the aggression. And the offensive strikes are expected to continue until we meet the operative goals that we have set,” he says.

Rishon Lezion, other central cities, shutter schools over rocket fears

Several cities in central Israel south of Tel Aviv have announced that they will close schools on Tuesday over fears that they could be the target of Gazan rockets.

School kids in Rishon Lezion, Rehovot, Ness Ziona, Holon, and Bat Yam will all get a day off Tuesday.

Rocket alarms ring in Sderot area

Fresh rocket sirens sound in the town of Sderot and surrounding communities in the Sha’ar Hanegev region.

Sderot and Sha’ar Hanegev have been targeted by dozens of rockets over the course of the night, most of which have either landed in open fields or been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

A small number have landed inside populated areas, causing light damage to nearby buildings and infrastructure, local authorities say.

Dozens of injuries tallied from rockets and stones

The Magen David Adom rescue service says it has treated 10 people for injuries stemming from Gazan missile fire, most of them for shock.

One person suffered injuries from glass after a projectile exploded nearby and two people were lightly hurt running to bomb shelters, it says.

It says another 15 people have been treated for light injuries from incidents in which rioters threw stones at them or their vehicles.

Jerusalem police say 32 officers have suffered injuries over the course of the day, including six who needed to be hospitalized.

It says one officer was hit in the head by an object during efforts to tamp down on unrest in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, where intense protests have been taking place.

IDF releases footage of ongoing Gaza strikes

The Israel Defense Forces says it is continuing its airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to ongoing rocket attacks from the enclave.

The military releases footage of some of its strikes, including ones targeting Hamas members launching rockets. The IDF says it has also bombed a Hamas attack tunnel, which had terrorist operatives inside at the time who were killed in the blast. It says it also hit a number of Hamas bases, observation posts, and launchpads.

Over 150 rockets fired at Israel Monday — army

Fresh rocket sirens sound in Gaza border region as the Israel Defense Forces says upwards of 150 rockets and mortar shells have been fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip at Israel on Monday.

Dozens of these were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, according to the military.

Most of the rest landed in open fields, where they caused neither injury nor damage. A small number landed inside populated areas, causing minor damage to nearby buildings and infrastructure.

So far only one person has been directly injured by the projectiles, an Israeli civilian man whose car was struck by an anti-tank guided missile south of Sderot.

Top Hamas official: We don’t want to start a war

Senior Hamas official Salah a-Arouri says that the terror group is interested in ending the round of fighting if Israel stops what he says are attacks on Muslim worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

“There are mediators — Egypt, the UN and more who are trying to end the escalation,” he says. “We’re not interested in starting a war, but if Israel continues to harm the al-Aqsa Mosque and worshipers, we will not be able to not respond.”

Fresh skirmish reported on Temple Mount

Fighting between worshipers and police has renewed at the Temple Mount/al-Aqsa Mosque.

Dozens of people are wounded after Palestinians threw projectiles toward Israeli security forces, who used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators, an AFP reporter says.

A video shows Palestinians hurling rocks, apparently at police, from the holy shrine.

תיעוד מכלי תקשורת פלסטיניים מהר הבית: יידוי אבנים מסיבי מצד המתפללים במקום@HaimOmri pic.twitter.com/2RNkGjuT9e

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2021

Netanyahu, Gantz and others hold security consultations

The Prime Minister’s Office releases a picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding security consultations at defense headquarters in Tel Aviv over escalating violence.

The picture shows a fairly small gathering, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF chief Aviv Kochavi, and National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, facing camera, and other top officials holding security consultations at defense headquarters in Tel Aviv on May 10, 2021. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

Israel shuts crossing into Gaza, bars humanitarian goods

Israel announces it is closing the Kerem Shalom Crossing between it and the Gaza Strip, in response to the ongoing rocket attacks from the enclave, including barring the entry of aid for the Strip.

Kerem Shalom is the primary entryway for commercial goods into the beleaguered enclave.

Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians says the closure is going into effect immediately and will be in place until further notice.

A spokesperson for the liaison says this includes barring the entrance of humanitarian goods into Gaza.

“A full closure,” she says.

Late night rocket barrages target southern Israel

Rocket attacks are continuing to plague the Gaza border region as Monday draws to an end.

No injuries or damage are immediately reported.

Rocket hits house in southern Israel, no injuries

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a house in the Sha’ar Hanegev region, causing damage to the home but no injuries, local authorities say.

A house in the Sha’ar Hanegev region that was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza on May 10, 22021 (United Hatzala)

Judah Ari Goss

IDF: Efforts against Hamas to be known as ‘Operation Guardian of the Walls’

The Israel Defense Forces’ ongoing strikes against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip have been given an official name: Operation Guardian of the Walls.

Judah Ari Gross

Hamas gives Israel another ultimatum to remove forces from Temple Mount

The Hamas terror group is warning that it will conduct another large-scale strike on Israel unless Israeli security forces are removed from the Temple Mount by 2 a.m.

This is the second such ultimatum issued by the Palestinian terror group today. After the first, which Israel did not heed, Hamas launched seven rockets at Jerusalem, kicking off a major wave of barrages that has continued through the night.

Judah Ari Gross

Rocket sirens wail in Netivot

Rocket sirens sound in the Israeli town of Netivot and nearby communities, as Palestinian terror groups apparently widen their range of attack.

Netivot is located some 11 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. It has not been targeted by rocket fire until now.

Judah Ari Gross

Islamic Jihad: No point in truce efforts until Israel ends Jerusalem aggression

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza says there is no point in efforts to mediate an end to the current round of violence so long as Israeli “aggression” continues in Jerusalem.

Israel “started the aggression on Jerusalem. If this aggression does not end, there is no point to diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire,” says a spokesman for the group.

A diplomatic official tells the AP that the United Nations, Egypt and Qatar, which frequently mediate between Israel and Hamas, were all trying to halt the fighting.

Rocket sirens sound in Sderot

Rocket sirens sound again in the town of Sderot and the nearby Shaar Hanegev region.

EU: ‘Violence needs to stop immediately’

The “significant upsurge in violence” in the West Bank, in and near Gaza and in East Jerusalem “needs to stop immediately,” a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says.

“The firing of rockets from Gaza against civilian populations in Israel is totally unacceptable and feeds escalatory dynamics,” the spokesman adds in a statement.

“The significant upsurge in violence in the occupied West Bank, including in East Jerusalem as well as in and around Gaza needs to stop immediately,” it says.

“All leaders have a responsibility to act against extremists. The status quo of the holy sites must be fully respected.

“We reiterate our call on all sides to engage in de-escalatory efforts. Further civilian casualties must be prevented as a priority.”

AFP

Rocket warning sirens wail in Sderot

Rocket warning sirens sound again in the town of Sderot after a brief pause in the rocket fire.

Earlier, one rocket was intercepted by Iron Dome over the town.

Hamas says it’s suspending planned attack as Israeli forces leave Temple Mount

A Hamas spokesman says the terror group is suspending plans for a large-scale attack as Israel has withdrawn its forces from the Temple Mount compound.

Hamas had given Israel until 2 a.m to do so.

It was the second ultimatum delivered by Hamas. After the first, they fired 6 rockets at Jerusalem, prompting a harsh response from the IDF.

There is no immediate confirmation from Israel that police have left the compound, or if it was in response to the Hamas demands.

Rocket fire continues to target Israeli communities near the Strip.

Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded person during clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protestors in Jerusalem’s Temple Mount compound on May 10, 2021. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)

One person shot and killed near Arab Israeli protests in Lod

One person was shot and killed and another injured in the city of Lod after midnight Monday, medics say.

The incident occurs close to a protest by Arab Israelis in solidarity with Palestinians clashing with Israeli forces in East Jerusalem.

Police are investigating if the shooting is connected to the protest.

Palestinians say more than 700 hurt in West Bank, Jerusalem clashes

The Palestinian Red Crescent says that more than 700 Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem and across the West Bank, including nearly 500 who were treated at hospitals.

It says more than 600 of the wounded were in Jerusalem alone.

Israeli police say 32 officers were injured.

Agencies

An Israeli police water cannon is deployed near the Damascus Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem as a fire burns during clashes between police and Palestinian protesters, Monday, May 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Hamas vows to continue rocket attacks

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says the rocket attacks will continue until Israel stops “all scenes of terrorism and aggression in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque.”

AP

Blinken says Hamas rocket attacks ‘need to stop immediately’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly condemns the rocket attacks by Hamas, saying they “need to stop immediately”.

“All sides need to de-escalate, reduce tensions, take practical steps to calm things down,” he says.

Sirens wail in communities near Gaza as rocket barrages continue through night

Rocket sirens are sounding in Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip as terrorists in Gaza continue to fire rockets and mortars into Israel throughout the night.

Sirens go off in Sderot, Sha’ar Hanegev and Eshkol.

There are no immediate reports of injuries.

Witnesses: Arab Israeli man killed in Ramle protest shot by Jewish resident

An Arab Israeli man was shot and killed and two others wounded during protests and riots early this morning in the central city of Lod in solidarity with Palestinians clashing with Israeli forces in Jerusalem.

Reports say the victims were part of a mob throwing stones and fire-bombs at Jewish-owned homes in the mixed Arab-Jewish city in central Israel and were apparently shot by Jewish residents.

“The Arab mob tried to storm our neighborhood,” Lod resident Meir Liush tells Ha’aretz. “It took police a long time to arrive. Residents were forced to shoot in the air, but it did not deter them until they shot at them and wounded two of them.”

Police officers clash with Arab Israeli demonstrators during a protest over tension in Jerusalem, in Ramle in central Israel, on May 10, 2021.(Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Pictures and video from the city and the neighboring town of Ramle show cars turned on their sides and set on fire and tires burning in the streets. Shop windows were also broken. One group, chanting “We will liberate al-Aqsa with blood and fire” took down an Israeli flag and put up a Palestinian flag in its place.

IDF said to strike targets across Gaza as rocket fire continues

The Israeli airforce is carrying out strikes across the Gaza Strip throughout the night as rocket fire from the Strip continues to target Israeli communities.

Palestinian media reports strikes around the southern cities of Rafah, and Khan Younis and an on apartment building in the al-Shati camp near Gaza city. A building was also destroyed in Gaza city’s upscale Tel al-Hawa neighborhood.

Fire billows from Israeli air strikes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 11, 2021.(Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)

The IDF has no immediate comment.

Al Shati, #Gaza
Emergency vehicles on the ground pic.twitter.com/AyCGPkyb7T

— Aleph א 🔎 (@no_itsmyturn) May 11, 2021

Heavy barrage of rockets launched at Ashkelon, one building hit

Rocket warning sirens are wailing in Ashkelon and residents report several loud explosions. Videos show a direct hit on a building.

Reports say more than 20 rockets are fired at the southern Israeli city,

There are no immediate reports of casualties.

In the last few mimutes, several rocket barrage on the city of Ashkelon.

Hunders of Rocket launced from Gaza towards Israel since yesterday pic.twitter.com/Zfy0eINshG

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 11, 2021

The IDF  did not comment.

Hamas says it launched barrage on Ashkelon after IDF strike on civilians

The Hamas terror group says it launched a large-scale rocket barrage on the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon early this morning in response to an IDF strike on a civilian apartment building near Gaza city.

At least one building in Ashkelon sustains a direct hit.

Hamas says in a statement it will “turn Ashkelon into hell” if the IDF continues to target civilian buildings in Gaza.

Pictures from Gaza showed an apartment building was hit in the al-Shati camp near Gaza city

The aftermath of Israeli strikes on Gaza's al-Shati area, located north of Gaza city. https://t.co/Uwe25TdWWG

— Will Porter (@TheWillPorter) May 11, 2021

Three Israelis reported wounded in barrage on Ashkelon

Three Israelis are reportedly hurt as at least two rockets fired from Gaza hit buildings in the southern Israeli city.

One of the wounded is moderately hurt.

Palestinians in Gaza fire dozens of rockets at Ashkelon early in the morning. Video shows most rockets are intercepted, but at least two buildings are hit.

IDF says it hit 130 targets in Gaza overnight as 200 rockets fired at Israel

The Israel Defense Forces says some 200 rockets were fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip from Monday night to Tuesday morning, dozens of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

The military says it has conducted retaliatory strikes on roughly 130 targets in the Strip, including the home of a top Hamas commander, Hamas’s intelligence headquarters, two attack tunnels that came near the security barrier and rocket production and storage sites.

Flares shot by Israeli forces light up the sky of eastern Gaza Strip, early Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

The IDF says it has also killed at least 15 Hamas members who were launching rockets at Israel.