US condemns rocket strikes on Israel

Speaking at his daily press briefing, US State of Department spokesperson Ned Price condemned the barrage of rocket attacks by Palestine on Israel terming the incident as an 'unacceptable escalation.' This comes after the Palestinian terror groups launched rocket attacks on Israel.

New Delhi: The United States has strongly condemned the rocket attacks by Palestine on Israel terming the incident as an 'unacceptable escalation.'

In a regular press briefing, the US state department spokesperson Ned Price said, "Let me start by saying that the United States condemns in the strongest terms the barrage of rocket attacks fired into Israel in recent hours. This is an unacceptable escalation".

"While we urge de-escalation on all sides, we also recognize Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself and to defend its people and its territory. It is critical for all sides to ensure calm and de-escalate tensions and avoid violent confrontations, such as the responsible decision to reroute today’s parade", he reiterated.

This comes after the Palestinian terror groups launched rocket attacks on Israel, following which, at least 20 people were injured in Palestine after Israel launched retaliating airstrikes on Gaza Strip on Monday.

Ned Price further said, "More broadly, we are deeply concerned about the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, including violent confrontations in Jerusalem, particularly in the Haram al-Sharif Temple Mount that has resulted in at least 180 additional injuries, as well as the rocket fire from Gaza hitting houses in Jerusalem and the threat of further rocket attacks".

The United States will remain fully engaged to promote calm in Jerusalem, and we welcome the steps the Israeli Government has taken in recent days aimed at avoiding provocations, including the decision to avoid confrontations during the Jerusalem Day Commemoration and the delay in the decision regarding the Sheikh Jarrah evictions, he added.

When asked if the US condemns the killing of the Palestinian children, Price said, "Obviously and these reports are just emerging. I was just speaking to the team. I understand we don’t have independent confirmation of facts on the ground yet, so I am very hesitant to get into reports that are just emerging."

The deaths of civilians, be they Israeli or Palestinians, are something we would take very seriously, he stated.

Earlier on Sunday, National Security AdvisorJake Sullivan had a telephonic conversation with Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat to express the United States’ serious concerns about the situation in Jerusalem, including violent confrontations at the Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount during the last days of Ramadan.

Sullivan highlighted recent engagements by senior US officials with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials and key regional stakeholders to press for steps to ensure calm, deescalate tensions, and denounce violence.

He also reiterated the United States’ serious concerns about the potential evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

"They agreed that the launching of rocket attacks and incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel is unacceptable and must be condemned".