JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli planes struck targets in the Gaza Strip overnight after Hamas fired at least 16 rockets into Israel. The latest conflict began on the Temple Mount in the heart of Jerusalem.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system knocked down the rockets while Israel struck at Hamas’s rocket manufacturing sites inside Gaza.
Hamas fired the rockets after Palestinians rioted on the Temple Mount and in some streets outside Jerusalem’s Old City.
The Associated Press reported that, according to Palestinian media, Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.
However, former IDF Spokesman Jonathan Conricus told CBN News what is behind the incident.
“What actually happened is that there has been a call for 2 (or) 3 days by different external factors: Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Iran calling on Muslims to go into the Temple Mount and to stay overnight at the Al Aqsa, and to be prepared to – what they call – ‘defend it’ against ‘settlement.’ This is nonsense. There is no evil plan and there is nothing happening, and what Israeli police are doing is that they are allowing worship to go on, on the Temple Mount,” Conricus explained.
Conricus continued, “There (were) a few hours where the Israeli police said, ‘Listen, what you’re doing is illegal and you need to vacate the mosque so that the morning prayers can start, but they refused, and when the Israeli police went in, they (the Palestinians) started to fire firecrackers, which can be very, very dangerous, (and) throw stones.”
Conricus says there are several actors behind the scenes and laments how the rioting is often portrayed.
“Unfortunately, what we see is that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Iran, and other extremist actors in the Middle East are using the holy month of Ramadan in order to elevate tensions and bring about violence,” he said. “What I am very disappointed in seeing is how these activities are reflected in mainstream American media, where this bluff isn’t called and the situation isn’t described for what it is.”
During the Ramadan month of fasting by day and eating by night, Muslims are often encouraged to commit violence, but most just want to enjoy their holiday.
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