Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to restore security “on all fronts” after rocket attacks in Lebanon and Syria escalated.
Benjamin Netanyahu was reappointed as defense minister and announced his resignation last month, according to the French news agency AFP.
Clashes, shootings and rocket attacks increased as Muslims celebrated the holy month of Ramadan, Jews celebrated Easter and Christians celebrated Passover.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a press conference on Monday that we will not allow Hamas terrorists to gain a foothold in Lebanon.
More than 30 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanese territory on Wednesday, a day after Israeli police attacked the prayer hall of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Israeli military said the attack was likely carried out by the Palestinian organization Hamas.
Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, which Israel has described as a “terrorist structure of Hamas”.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have risen since Netanyahu’s new government took office in December.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said at his press conference that he and Defense Minister Gallant had a “difficult dispute” but that it was over.
Gallant will remain in office and we will continue to work together to protect the people of Israel, he added.
Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister Yoo Gallant for opposing reforms to the justice system. Changes to the legal system divided the country and fueled discontent against the military.
On the other hand, recent opinion polls show that Netanyahu is likely to lose if elections are held today.
According to images broadcast by Israeli television, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv to condemn the Prime Minister’s speech.
In the latest shooting in the area, Israeli forces killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy, Muhammad Fayyaz Balhan, and wounded two others, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
The Israeli military confirmed that its forces were operating in the Iqbat Jaber camp where soldiers were trying to “detain a suspected terrorist”.
He further said that the security forces arrested the suspect.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the clashes began when soldiers arrived at the camp and surrounded several houses. A Palestinian security official told AFP that five people had been arrested in the attack.
The latest victims were a Palestinian teenager and a British-Israeli mother who were shot dead in the West Bank on Monday. His two daughters also died earlier.
