WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump assured Israel on Sunday
that it has Washington's full support after the Jewish state led waves of
retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rockets.
"Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket
attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in
its defense of its citizens," Mr Trump tweeted.
"To the Gazan people - these terrorist acts against
Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. End the violence and work
towards peace - it can happen!"
The US president's message came in the wake of the most
serious escalation since the 2014 war, with 19 Palestinians killed in the Gaza
Strip and four in Israel.
The tiny, densely populated enclave's health ministry said
among those killed on Sunday were a pregnant woman and a four-month-old baby.
The Israeli military declined to comment on the claim.
At least nine of those killed were confirmed to be militants
affiliated with the Palestinian territory's leaders Hamas or the allied Islamic
Jihad group.
On the Israeli side, four civilians were killed as Hamas and
Islamic Jihad fired barrages of rockets and at least one anti-tank missile from
the enclave, Israeli authorities said.
Three of the dead were identified by authorities as Israeli
citizens, with the nationality of the fourth not announced.
Israeli targets included internal security headquarters in
the Palestinian enclave, an interior ministry statement said.
The Trump administration has closely aligned itself with
Israel's right wing.
The president's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner has
indicated that an upcoming US peace plan for the Middle will pull back from
long-standing mentions of a two-state solution with the Palestinians and accept
Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The Trump administration has closely aligned itself with
Israel's right wing.
The president's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner has
indicated that an upcoming US peace plan for the Middle will pull back from
long-standing mentions of a two-state solution with the Palestinians and accept
Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The Palestinian leadership has already said it does not
accept mediation by Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is fervently
pro-Israel and whose long list of actions in support of the Jewish state
includes moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Israel considers the holy city its eternal capital, but
Palestinians want east Jerusalem as part of a future state.
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