WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2021) The United States has seen some encouraging steps from Israel and the Palestinians to reduce tensions in the region, such as the Israeli Supreme Court delaying a decision in the the Sheikh Jarrah case and the Palestinians calling off the Eid celebration, State Department spokesperson Ned prices said on Tuesday.
"We have seen some encouraging steps, both from Israel and the Palestinians," price said in a press briefing. "The decision yesterday to reroute the Jerusalem Day parade, the decision on the part of the Israeli Supreme Court to delay the Sheikh Jarrah decision was welcomed as was the decision by [Palestinian President Mahmoud] Abbas to call off the Eid celebration."
The US administration is deeply concerned about the escalating tensions between Israel and "those launching rockets in Gaza," and calls on all sides to exercise restraint, Price added.
Price said the current tensions show the time is not right for a two-state solution.
The largest ever escalation between Israel and Palestine over the recent years broke out earlier this week on the borders of the Gaza Strip. Starting from Monday night, air raid sirens have not died down in Ashkelon and other Israeli cities bordering the Palestinian enclave. Starting at 1:00 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday, Palestine's factions began the shelling of Ashdod.
On Tuesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said that over 200 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel, with most of them intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system. In response, Israel struck 130 targets of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group, including two tunnels and a Hamas intelligence facility, as well as sites manufacturing and storing weapons. At least 15 Hamas militants were killed in the airstrikes, according to the Israeli army.
