عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Israel's Netanyahu Calls for 'Calm' in Jerusalem after Violence

Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)
Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Israel's Netanyahu Calls for 'Calm' in Jerusalem after Violence

Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)
Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for "calm on all sides" after several nights of unrest in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

The prime minister also warned that Israel remains "prepared for all scenarios" after dozens of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel overnight, prompting Israeli retaliatory air strikes.

He made the remarks after attending an emergency security meeting with senior officials, including army chief Aviv Kohavi, hours after Israeli warplanes struck Gaza early Saturday and a second night of clashes between Palestinians and police in Jerusalem.

Thirty-six rockets were launched, the Israeli army said, the most in a single night this year, after Gaza's Hamas rulers voiced support for the east Jerusalem protests, which were fueled by a march Thursday by far-right Jews.

"First of all we want to ensure that law and order are respected... now we demand compliance with the law and I call for calm on all sides," Netanyahu said in a statement after the security talks.

The violence was the worst in years between Israeli police and Palestinians in the disputed Holy City.

There have been nightly disturbances since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on April 13, amid Palestinian anger over police blocking off access to the promenade around the walls of the Old City and a ban on gatherings.

"We uphold freedom of religion... for all residents and visitors of Jerusalem," Netanyahu said.

A series of videos posted online have shown young Arabs attacking ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Jewish extremists taking to the streets to bully Arabs.

On Thursday, at least 125 people were injured when Palestinian protesters, angered by chants of "death to Arabs" from far-right Jewish demonstrators, clashed repeatedly with police.

Expressions of concern and calls for restraint have come from the United States, European Union, United Nations and other countries.

'Playing with fire'
The United States, which has taken a more even-handed approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict since President Joe Biden took office in January urged "calm and unity".

"The rhetoric of extremist protesters chanting hateful and violent slogans must be firmly rejected," State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted.

Skirmishes broke out again on Friday when tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers left Jerusalem's revered Al-Aqsa mosque after night prayers and found themselves confronted by dozens of armed police, some on horseback.

Protesters hurled water bottles at police, who fired stun grenades to disperse them.

Hundreds of Palestinians also rallied at the Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, police said.

In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Palestinians threw stones and petrol bombs towards the tomb of biblical matriarch Rachel, a shrine venerated by Jews and Muslims.

Thursday's march into the heart of Arab east Jerusalem by hundreds of supporters of far-right Jewish nationalist group Lehava added fuel to the fire.

Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion told public radio he was in talks with Palestinian community leaders in east Jerusalem "to end this pointless violence" and that he had tried to cancel the march.

The office of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned "the growing incitement by extremist far-right Israeli settler groups advocating for the killing of Arabs".

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned "racist attacks" by Israelis against Palestinians in east Jerusalem and called for "international action to protect them".

"Jerusalem is a red line and touching it, is playing with fire," he warned.

UN special coordinator for Middle East peace Tor Wennesland, urged all sides to "exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation", adding "the provocative acts across Jerusalem must cease".

Gaza rocket fire
Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, voiced support for the east Jerusalem protesters.

"The spark you light today will be the wick of the explosion to come in the face of the enemy," it said in a statement.

An alliance of Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and its smaller ally “Islamic Jihad”, issued a statement warning we "cannot remain silent" in the face of the violence.

Militants in Gaza fired a first salvo of three rockets at Israel shortly before midnight (2100 GMT) Friday, the military said.

Israeli tanks shelled Gaza in response and launched air strikes on the blockaded coastal enclave after more rockets were fired.

The Israeli army said the 36 rockets fired at Israel were intercepted or hit open ground.

It said the air strikes involving fighter jets and attack helicopters struck Hamas military targets as well as underground infrastructure and rocket launchers.

"Concerning the Gaza Strip, I gave instructions that we be prepared for all scenarios," Netanyahu said.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)

A surge in deadly violence has gripped the quiet northern town of al-Dabbah, exposing the growing threat posed by the rampant spread of weapons across Sudan in the absence of effective state control.

At least eight people were killed over just two days, four in tribal clashes and four others in a street fight within the town.

The latest bloodshed comes amid a broader climate of insecurity, where gunfire has become a common soundscape. In nearby Omdurman, social media users circulated graphic footage of a young man shot dead in cold blood after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone.

Reports of killings and injuries from arguments and brawls settled with bullets have flooded social platforms, painting a grim picture of lawlessness. Armed robbery gangs are said to roam freely, terrorizing civilians with no security forces in sight.

As Sudan’s brutal conflict enters its third year, guns have become as commonplace in towns and villages as household items. What was once settled with fists or sticks is now resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly armed themselves, citing the need for self-defense amid state collapse and the disintegration of law enforcement.

Even before the war erupted, estimates suggested around 2.2 million firearms were circulating in Sudan’s conflict zones. Since then, the figure is believed to have ballooned, with unofficial estimates placing the current number at nearly six million, most acquired privately or informally.

In al-Dabbah, local authorities confirmed tribal clashes erupted between members of the Kababish and Hawaweer tribes, leaving four dead and others wounded before security forces intervened. The following day, a quarrel between vehicle drivers escalated into a gunfight, claiming four more lives.

Meanwhile, in the Omdurman district of Al-Hattana, gunmen fatally shot a man while attempting to snatch his phone, another grim scene that social media brought into public view.

Weapons have now flooded Sudan’s markets. Eyewitnesses and former security officials say that under the brief control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, firearms were openly sold on the street like vegetables, with prices starting at just 20,000 Sudanese pounds, roughly $10.

Security experts say this gun chaos is not a sudden phenomenon but the product of years of unchecked proliferation.

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, weapons were distributed to tribal militias to fight opposing groups. With the eruption of nationwide conflict, arms have spread from the traditional battlegrounds of Darfur and Kordofan to cities in Sudan’s north, east, and center.

Legal analyst Moaz Hadra warned of the growing dangers of “random arming,” saying some groups are being trained and armed outside Sudan to destabilize the country. “Why are these groups being trained abroad instead of within Sudan’s military institutions?” he asked when speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Officials Downplay Risk, Citing Self-Defense

Despite mounting violence, Sudanese security and military officials continue to downplay the threat. They argue that most weapons are held by civilians for self-protection against RSF attacks or roaming bandits. “Should a citizen wait helplessly while armed men storm his home?” one commentator asked rhetorically.

Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman al-Toum, a police spokesman, dismissed fears of total lawlessness, saying that gun crackdowns are ongoing and that firearms possession is being treated as an exceptional situation under extraordinary circumstances.

Others, like Brigadier General Saleh Abdullah, insist that once the war ends, collecting the weapons will be “very easy,” noting that most guns were distributed under strict regulations to reserve forces and can be retrieved using serial numbers registered to each piece. “The army has always managed its weapons according to clear protocols,” he said.

Major General Mujahid Ibrahim added that Sudan’s porous borders, particularly in the west, have made it easier for arms to enter the country unchecked, exacerbating the crisis. Still, military officials say weapons loaned to civilians can be recovered thanks to detailed logs and unique identifiers.

Yet, as al-Dabbah and Omdurman reel from fresh bouts of violence, the gap between official reassurance and on-the-ground chaos continues to widen. With Sudan’s civil war showing no sign of abating, the unchecked spread of guns threatens to tear apart what remains of the country’s fragile social fabric.