Jerusalem Day march turns violent

Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza fired more than 200 rockets towards Israel since Monday night. Israel responded with airstrikes aimed at Hamas in Gaza, where officials said 24 people were killed, including nine children. Earlier that day, Israeli police and Palestinian protesters hurled stun grenades and stones at each other as they clashed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City. More than 700 Palestinians sustained injuries, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Monday marked the annual Jerusalem Day Flag March, an Israeli celebration marking their capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 war. Palestinians consider the celebration a direct insult.

What spurred the clashes? Plans to evict dozens of Palestinians from Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood to make room for Jewish settlers sparked confrontations with police officers in recent weeks. The United Nations Security Council wrapped up a session about the ongoing fighting on Monday. The mosque is located in a compound that both Muslims and Jews consider a holy site.

Dig deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s Q&A on Israeli politics with Ze’ev Chafets.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.