The situation in the Gaza Strip has snowballed into a full-blown military confrontation between Hamas and Israel, following Israeli provocations in Jerusalem, namely the increasing settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Israeli pressure on the Palestinians of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood to evacuate their homes, claiming they are not their legal owners.
It all started when Mohammed al-Deif, the commander of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, made a brief statement on May 5 threatening Israel and warning it against evicting the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Then Israeli security forces undertook a raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque. This prompted Hamas on May 10 to fire rockets at Jerusalem for the first time since the 2014 war.
