Friday’s announcement by Israel’s defense minister that it would cease its airstrikes against Palestinian militant groups who halt rocket attacks was a day after the most deadly Israeli raid in decades. This came amid a potential flare-up in fighting.

So far, the limited firefight between Gaza militants & Israeli armed forces has followed a predictable pattern. This allows both sides to respond to each other without causing a major escalation. The possibility of violence subsiding was also suggested by Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s directive to the military to be ready for new strikes in Gaza Strip “if necessary”.

Midday prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound were a common catalyst for clashes between Palestinians, Israeli police. Despite a large police presence, they passed with relative calm. Residents of the holy city and occupied West Bank were still on edge.

Following an Israeli raid at the flashpoint Jenin refugee camps, which turned into a gun fight, which resulted in at least nine deaths, seven militants, and a woman aged 61, the bombardments were carried out.

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Another clashes erupted when Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old Palestinian boy in al-Ram (a Palestinian town north Jerusalem). The funeral in al-Ram saw a large number of Palestinians carry the body of the young man up and wave the flags of Fatah, which controls Gaza, and militant Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government was put to the test by the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine over the past decades. He came to power as tensions rose with the Palestinians, and has pledged to maintain a tough line.

The raid also caused the Palestinian Authority’s security coordination with Israel to be halted. It was just days before U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken was due to visit the region, and this drew “deep concern” from the State Department.

Both the Israeli and Palestinian airstrikes have been limited to prevent an escalation into full-blown conflict. Since the militant group took control of Gaza from other Palestinian forces in 2007, Israel and Hamas have fought several skirmishes as well as four wars.

Palestinian militants launched rockets from Gaza towards the south of Israel. Israel responded with non-lethal airstrikes against militant targets in Gaza. These included training camps and underground rocket manufacturing sites.

Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister, claimed that the military had dealt a “tough punch” to Palestinian militants. He also said that the army was ready to strike “high quality targets… until peace is restored for the citizens of Israel.”

Al-Aqsa was revered by Jews as their Temple Mount. A calm and uneasy atmosphere prevailed. Tensions at Jerusalem’s holy site have triggered violence, including a bloody Gaza War in 2021. It is both considered the third most sacred site in Islam and the location of the ancient Jewish temple, which is the holiest place within Judaism.

Israeli police were present at the entrances to limestone alleys leading to the holy compound. Numerous Muslim worshippers gathered in the mosque’s stone courtyard, just before the golden Dome of the Rock, to chant in solidarity with the Jenin raid victims.

They shouted, “In spirit and blood we will sacrifice you,” “Greetings Jenin and Greetings Gaza.”

Eyad Shaher (45-year-old construction worker from Bethlehem) said that he felt relieved to have a peaceful day.

He said, referring specifically to Thursday’s events: “Thank God it turned out well and there weren’t any problems.”

Tensions have shot up since Israel increased its raids on the West Bank in response to a series of Palestinian attacks. Many of Israel’s operations have been focused on Jenin, a key militant stronghold in the 2000-2005 Intifada.

According to the leading Israeli rights group B’Tselem, nearly 150 Palestinians were killed last year in the West Bank or east Jerusalem. This makes 2022 the most deadly year in these territories since 2004. In Palestinian attacks on Israelis last year, 30 people died.

According to The Associated Press, this year has seen 30 Palestinians killed.

Israel claims that most of those killed were militants. However, youths who protested the incursions as well as others not involved in the confrontations were also killed.

Anwar Gargash is a senior diplomat in United Arab Emirates. He warned that the Israeli escalation at Jenin was dangerous and disturbing. This threatens international efforts to advance peace agenda priorities. The UAE also recognized Israel in 2020, along with Bahrain. However, the UAE has not spoken out about the violence.

As young Palestinians bustled about and women sold raisins, the news of Jenin’s nine deaths and the nightly rockets was heard on phones and radios in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Ibrahim Salameh, 21, a 21 year old, was seen smoking on the steps at Damascus Gate. He said that he’d never felt so afraid. He said that his teenage neighbor was murdered when police entered Shuafat refugee camp in an attempt to destroy the home of an attacker.

He said, “Everyday there’s more fear and tension.” “Somehow, I live with the idea that I could be killed at any moment.”

Fatah declared a general strike in the West Bank and all shops were closed across Palestinian cities. In a joint effort to stop Islamic militants, the PA announced Thursday that it would end all ties between its security forces and Israel. The previous threats were short-lived due to the mutual benefits that the authority receives and U.S. pressure.

The West Bank has scattered enclaves that the PA can control, but the PA is unable to exert any control over militant strongholds such as the Jenin camp.

Israel claims its raids are intended to destroy militant networks and deter attacks. They are further cementing Israel’s 55-year-old, unrestricted occupation of the West Bank. This West Bank was captured by Israel along with east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem in 1967 Mideast War. These territories should be part of any future state, according to the Palestinians.

There are dozens of Israeli settlements in West Bank, which now host 500,000 people. Many in the international community and the Palestinians view settlements as illegal and an obstacle for peace. This despite the fact that talks to end conflict have been deadlocked for more than a decade.