THE NEWLY confident Israeli state has attacked Gaza, causing at least four deaths, as tensions in Palestine escalate in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump’s public backing for the Israeli state’s claim to East Jerusalem.
Three rockets were launched in Gaza and reached Israel on Friday – without causing any death or injury there. Israel retaliated with air strikes on Gaza – claiming they were aiming at military targets. Medical sources in Palestine estimated that in addition to the four deaths, at least 200 Palestinians were injured.
President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Israeli state has been widely condemned by political and religious leaders around the world. Palestinian officials immediately called off a scheduled meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence scheduled for late December. The Egypt-based Coptic Church has also cancelled their meeting with Pence too. The announcement was also met with street protests and demonstrations around the world.
Trump claimed, bizarrely, that his policy statement would bring peace closer. Palestinian officials have already said that the US can no longer be trusted to play an honest role in arranging any further peace process. That’s another fine mess Trump’s got us into.
•Read more about it: Trump backs Israeli state against Palestinians Trump back on the bigot agenda
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