Eyewitnesses had earlier told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that “explosions” had been heard.
The Israeli military announced late Saturday that it had intercepted a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) over the Gaza Strip, where eyewitnesses had earlier told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that “explosions” had been heard.
A spokesman for the Israeli army emphasized that “it was not a missile launch”. According to the Times of Israel website, the UAV was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Escalating tensions since the start of the year have fueled fears of a new cycle of violence in the region and prompted international calls for restraint and calm.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Friday called on Israelis and Palestinians to make efforts to de-escalate tensions.
A day earlier, Israel launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after intercepting a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave.
Yesterday Saturday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization announced that its leader Ziad al-Nakhla traveled to Cairo to meet the head of Egypt’s Intelligence Services, Abbas Kamel, whose country regularly takes a mediating role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the same source, they discussed “the situation in Jerusalem and the West Bank, particularly in Jenin,” where the Israeli army has launched bloody raids.
The meeting followed Kamel’s visit to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank last Tuesday, where the Egyptian official held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Since the beginning of the year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of 35 Palestinians (including several civilians), six Israelis and one Ukrainian woman, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli and Palestinian sources.
The Gaza Strip – with a population of 2.3 million – has been under Israeli blockade since 2007 when Hamas took power.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
