Israel closes crossing to Gazans after new rocket attacks
JERUSALEM, April 23, (AFP) - Israel said it will close its only crossing from the Gaza Strip for workers on Sunday in response to overnight rocket fire, stopping short of conducting retaliatory strikes in an apparent bid to ease tensions.
The rocket attacks on Friday night and Saturday morning followed days of clashes at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound and a month of deadly violence.
The unrest -- which comes as the Jewish festival of Passover overlaps with the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan -has sparked international fears of conflict, one year after similar violence led to an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza-based militants.
“Following the rockets fired toward Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip last night, it was decided that crossings into Israel for Gazan merchants and workers through the Erez Crossing will not be permitted this Sunday,” COGAT, a unit of the Israeli defence ministry responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, said in a statement on Saturday.
The rocket attacks came as Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters at Al-Aqsa mosque, leaving at least one man hospitalised in serious condition.
More than 200 people, mostly Palestinians, have been hurt in clashes in and around Al-Aqsa in the past week. Palestinians have been outraged by massive Israeli police deployment and repeated visits by Jews to the holy site.
Early on Friday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said 57 people were wounded after police stormed the compound in Israeliannexed east Jerusalem's Old City.