More than 300 people wounded in Al-Aqsa mosque compound

GAZA CITY — Palestinians and Israeli occupation forces clashed again on Monday evening at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, an AFP reporter said, after medics said earlier violence at the site wounded more than 300 people. اضافة اعلان

More than 100 rockets were fired Monday from Gaza towards Israel by multiple Palestinian armed groups, Hamas Islamists who control the blockaded enclave said. 

Israeli occupation forces had earlier confirmed at least 45 rocket launches, most targeting areas near the Gaza border, but seven were directed towards Jerusalem. 

They later sent an update that the rocket fired had continued through the night. No Israeli fatalities have been reported.

At least 20 people were killed, including nine children, and 65 others wounded in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Israel has confirmed it was bombing Hamas targets in Gaza in response to earlier rocket fire directed towards Israel.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the updated death toll included a 10-year-old girl, while Hamas has confirmed that one of its commanders was killed in a strike. 

The rockets were fired shortly after a 6:00pm (1500 GMT) deadline issued by Gaza's Islamist movement Hamas for Israel to withdraw its forces from the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound after clashes.

But Israeli occupation forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said he could "neither confirm nor deny" that its strikes caused the fatalities, adding it may have been an "internal matter," in a possible reference to misfired rocket from inside the strip.

Germany on Monday called for all sides to "avoid further civilian casualties" after Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Gaza in response to a barrage of rockets fired by the Islamist movement Hamas.

"Nothing justifies rockets being fired on the civilian Israeli population," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tweeted, adding it "certainly does not lead to the resolution of the conflict" but instead "a senseless further escalation".
"All parties have a duty to avoid further civilian casualties."

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