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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 19 april 2022
Gaza militants fire rocket into Israel as tensions soar

By JOSEPH KRAUSS “the need to stop all ille-
Associated Press gal and provocative Israeli
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestin- measures” there, accord-
ian militants fired a rocket ing to a statement. Jor-
into southern Israel for the dan planned to convene
first time in months on Mon- a meeting of other Arab
day, in another escalation states on the issue.
after clashes at a sensitive Israel has been working to
holy site in Jerusalem, a improve relations with Jor-
series of deadly attacks in- dan over the past year and
side Israel and military raids has recently normalized
across the occupied West relations with other Arab
Bank. states over their shared
Israel said it intercepted concerns about Iran. But
the rocket, and there were the latest tensions have
no immediate reports of brought renewed attention
casualties or damage. Is- to the conflict with the Pal-
rael holds Gaza’s militant estinians, which Israel has
Hamas rulers responsible sought to sideline in recent
for all such projectiles and years.
usually launches airstrikes An Arab party that made
in their wake. It was the first history last year by joining
such rocket fire since New Israel’s governing coalition
Year’s Eve. Israeli army soldiers guard a section of Israel’s separation barrier, in the West Bank village of Nilin, suspended its participation
Hours earlier, the leader of west of Ramallah, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. Associated Press on Sunday — a largely sym-
the Islamic Jihad militant bolic act that nevertheless
group, which boasts an ar- ter of Israeli-Palestinian vio- celebrate them safely in have flocked to Jerusa- reflected the sensitivity of
senal of rockets, had issued lence. It is the third holiest the Holy Land. Palestinians lem’s Old City — home to the holy site, which is at the
a brief, cryptic warning, site in Islam and the holi- view the presence of Israeli major holy sites for all three emotional heart of the cen-
condemning Israeli “viola- est for Jews, who refer to it police at the site as a prov- faiths — for the first time tury-old conflict.
tions” in Jerusalem. as the Temple Mount be- ocation and said they used since the start of the coro- Israel captured the West
Ziad al-Nakhala, who is cause the mosque stands excessive force. navirus pandemic. Bank, along with the Gaza
based outside the Palestin- on a hilltop where the Jew- Prime Minister Naftali Ben- Jordan and Egypt, which Strip and east Jerusalem
ian territories, said threats ish temples were located in nett said Monday, ahead made peace with Israel — which includes the Old
to tighten an Israeli-Egyp- antiquity. of the rocket fire, that Is- decades ago and coor- City — in the 1967 Mideast
tian blockade on Gaza im- Protests and clashes there rael has been the target of dinate with it on security war. The Palestinians seek
posed after Hamas seized this time last year eventu- a “Hamas-led incitement matters, have condemned those territories for a future
power 15 years ago “can’t ally led to an 11-day Gaza campaign.” its actions at the mosque. independent state. Israel
silence us from what’s war. The latest tensions come Jordan — which serves annexed east Jerusalem
happening in Jerusalem Police said they were re- during the confluence of as custodian of the site — in a move not recognized
and the occupied West sponding to Palestinian the Muslim holy month of summoned Israel’s charge internationally and is build-
Bank.”Palestinians and Is- stone-throwing and that Ramadan and the week- d’affaires on Monday in ing and expanding Jew-
raeli police clashed over they were committed to long Jewish holiday of Pass- protest. ish settlements across the
the weekend in and around ensuring that Jews, Chris- over. Christians are also Jordan’s King Abdullah II West Bank, which it views
the Al-Aqsa Mosque com- tians and Muslims — whose celebrating their holy week discussed the violence with as the biblical and histori-
pound in Jerusalem, which major holidays are con- leading up to Easter, and Egyptian President Abdel cal heartland of the Jewish
has long been an epicen- verging this year — could tens of thousands of visitors Fattah el-Sissi, agreeing on people.q

Pakistan court sentences 6 to death in killing of Sri Lankan

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — mara. Kumara was killed in ing posters bearing the
A Pakistan court Monday December by workers at name of Islam’s Prophet
sentenced six people to a sports equipment fac- Muhammad. His body was
death and nine others to tory in Pakistan’s eastern Si- later dragged outside the
life in prison after convict- alkot district where he was factory and burned by an
ing them for their roles in a manager. According to angry mob. According to
last year’s vigilante killing of defense lawyer Israr Ullah, officials, 89 suspects were
a Sri Lankan factory man- the judge announced the tried in the killing of Kuma-
ager accused by workers verdicts after concluding ra and one of them was
of committing blasphemy, the trial at a jail in Lahore, acquitted. In conservative
a defense lawyer said. the capital of eastern Pun- Pakistan, a mere allegation
The six men sentenced to jab province. of blasphemy can invite
death were convicted of The killing of Kumara drew mob attacks. The country’s
murder in a case that out- nationwide attention, with blasphemy law carries the
raged many Pakistanis. As many people demand- death penalty for anyone
many as 73 additional men ing the killers be publicly found guilty of the offense.
were given jail terms of two hanged. Pakistan’s government has
Police officers escort suspects allegedly involved involved in
the killing of Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan factory manager, to five years by the anti- Kumara was initially beaten long been under pressure
after their appearance in anti-terrorism court, in Gujranwala, terrorism court after finding by his Pakistani colleagues to change the country’s
Pakistan, Dec. 6, 2021. them guilty of playing a role inside the factory who had blasphemy laws, a move
Associated Press in the killing of Priyantha Ku- accused him of desecrat- Islamists strongly resist.q