Israel warned on Tuesday that it would not let the recent riots and cross-border attacks by Palestinians to go unchallenged, saying the responsibility for restoring calm and easing the tension lays squarely on them.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone on Tuesday amid heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
Lapid updated Blinken on the efforts undertaken by Israel to allow freedom of worship in Jerusalem during the Holy Month of Ramadan and Passover even as Palestinian rioters continue to stage provocations in the city, led by radical clerics who have spread false information on Israel's supposed desire to damage the Islamic shrines on the mountain. "Israel will not tolerate calls for violence," Lapid said, stressing the need for international support for the restoration of calm in the capital.
Blinken also spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who accused Israel of "brutal attacks by radical settlers who invade the Al-Aqsa Mosque every day, by blatantly violating the status quo."
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Benny Gantz reacted on Tuesday to the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip a day earlier, warning that Israel would not shy away from confrontation to remove the threat to its citizens if it came to that.
"Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces hit the Gaza Strip due to the targeting of Israeli territory," Gantz said in a video message, laying blame on "Hamas' leadership." He added, "The IDF has at its disposal a whole host of means and targets and it is prepared for this contingency as a means of ensuring that calm and stability continue." He then warned that "if the incitement and rocket fire continues, the terrorist organizations will be dealt a heavy blow, as will the people of Gaza, who currently enjoy the Israeli efforts to improve their welfare and economic wellbeing." He said that "Israel will increase these efforts if there is continued stability, but they will be rolled back if Hamas' leaders decide to hurt it."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
