Renewed Tensions Between Israel and Palestinians; Gaza Protests Result in One Death and 40 Injuries

With the escalation of the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians, the United States accused the Palestinian Authority of creating a "deliberate" crisis during a UN Security Council meeting. Meanwhile, South Africa reduced its diplomatic relations with Israel in defense of the Palestinians. Tensions around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem have once again increased, and the latest protests by Palestinians at the Gaza border resulted in one death and over 40 injuries. The Israeli army also conducted airstrikes in Gaza after a rocket from Gaza hit southern Israel on the evening of March 8. According to Reuters, the UN Security Council met on Friday at the request of Kuwait and Indonesia to discuss the financial crisis in the Palestinian Authority. After the Netanyahu government set new conditions for transferring tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, demanding that the Palestinian government refrain from giving money to the families of Palestinians involved in attacks on Israelis, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, announced that his government would essentially forgo receiving this money in protest against Israel's decision. The Palestinian representative at the Security Council meeting accused the Israeli government of "financial piracy." Mansour Al-Otaibi, Kuwait's ambassador to the Security Council, stated that all council members (except the US) agree that Israel's actions constitute a "violation of bilateral agreements" between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. However, Jason Greenblatt, the US representative in Middle East negotiations and a senior member of Jared Kushner's team, accused the Palestinian Authority of deliberately creating a crisis with its policies. Greenblatt stated that providing money to the families of Palestinians involved in attacks on Israelis is a "incentive for further terrorist actions." This American diplomat urged other Security Council members to join the US in demanding that the Palestinian Authority end financial assistance to the families of Palestinians involved in attacks on Israelis. On the other hand, Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, announced in parliament on Friday that the Pretoria government would reduce its relations with Israel in protest against the country's treatment of Palestinians, in line with a decision by the ruling party. The African National Congress, South Africa's ruling party, decided last year to reduce its political relations with Israel due to "continuous violations of Palestinian rights." The South African president identified Israel as the reason for the failure of efforts to negotiate the establishment of a Palestinian state, although he stated that South Africa still recognizes Israel. According to the Israeli media network Arutz Sheva, South Africa recalled its ambassador from Israel earlier this year after the deaths of dozens of Palestinians in protests against the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, and its embassy in Tel Aviv has been operating at the lowest diplomatic level for the past ten months. Meanwhile, the protests that have been ongoing since April 2018 at the Gaza borders under the name "Return" continued on March 8, coinciding with International Women's Day, with a large number of women and girls among the approximately 8,000 demonstrators. This marked the fiftieth consecutive Friday that Palestinians in Gaza protested, including against the 12-year blockade of the strip, and despite at least 250 deaths and 25,000 injuries, they continue these protests. According to reports from Gaza hospital sources, a 23-year-old young man named Tamer Khaled Arafat was killed, and 42 other Palestinian demonstrators, including 15 teenagers and two women, were injured. Mohammad Abu Jazar, a Palestinian medical rescuer at the Khan Younis border, was injured by a "gas bomb" to his face; according to the Jerusalem Post, three medical rescuers and two Palestinian journalists were among the injured in this area. An Israeli army spokesperson emphasized in response that the Gaza border fence with Israel had been "breached 15 times." Since the beginning of these border protests, Israel has stated that the security of its people and territory is a red line and that it will not tolerate any aggression. Meanwhile, after a rocket alert sounded in southern Israel on Friday evening and a rocket hit the Eshkol area, Israeli fighter jets conducted airstrikes over the northern part and Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Israeli media reported that targets belonging to the "naval forces of Hamas" were bombed, causing significant damage, but no reports of casualties or injuries were released. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also the defense minister, stated on Thursday that the army would respond "twice as hard" to any movement by Gaza militants. The Israeli army simultaneously deployed more of its soldiers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, around 40,000 Palestinians participated in Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa. According to the Jerusalem Post, tensions at the gate known as "Bab al-Rahm" in the Al-Aqsa compound continued on Saturday, March 9, but did not lead to specific clashes. Tensions over "Bab al-Rahm" began on February 21 when hundreds of Palestinians opened this historic gate of Al-Aqsa, which had been closed, and entered it. In response, Israel arrested a senior official of the Palestinian Waqf organization, which Jordan protested. According to Israeli media reports, a delegation from Israel recently visited Amman, the capital of Jordan, to explore ways to prevent tensions over "Bab al-Rahm" from escalating into a new crisis regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque. King Abdullah II of Jordan is the custodian of Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem. According to the Jerusalem Post, both King Abdullah, who is set to visit the White House for an official meeting on March 19, and Benjamin Netanyahu (who is in an election campaign) do not need a new crisis over the Al-Aqsa Mosque.