Gaza, May 11 (IANS) The Islamic Hamas movemnet has claimed responsibility for firing over 45 rockets from Gaza into Israel.
"Hamas military wing al-Qassam Brigades struck occupied Jerusalem with a barrage of rockets," Xinhua news agency quoted a spokesman of al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas, as saying on Monday night.
"Firing the rockets was a response to the occupier's crimes and aggression against the holy city and harassing our people at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah," the spokesman added.
Eyewitnesses said they saw dozens of rockets were launched and white smokes rising into the sky.
They also heard the sound of explosions after Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted some of the rockets.
Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that the rockets mostly landed in open areas on the border with Gaza.
"This is a very severe assault on Israel by Hamas that will not go unanswered," Conricus said in a video briefing.
"We have made preparations for various scenarios, including high intensity ones," he said.
"We asses that Hamas will get the message and will understand they are the ones facing severe consequences from us."
An Israeli man was lightly hurt by shrapnel from anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, according to the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), claimed responsibility for attacking an Israeli army jeep near the borders between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel.
The PIJ said in a statement that it launched more than 30 rockets from Gaza into southern Israel, adding the attacks are "a response to the crimes against Al-Aqsa Mosque and against our people in East Jerusalem".
Earlier in the day, Israeli police clashed with Palestinians in Jerusalem. Palestinian protesters say Israel has been invading the holy site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and evicting Palestinians from homes in Jerusalem in order to make room for Jewish settlers.
Hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israeli troops have been injured in the recent clashes.
Tensions have been been flaring up over the past few days amid the escalating violence in East Jerusalem between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli forces.
--IANS
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