HARTFORD, Conn. — The tensions between Israel and Hamas continued to escalate Tuesday with Jerusalem unleashing new airstrikes on Gaza as militants barraged Israel with hundreds of rockets.
The barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip and airstrikes into the territory continued almost nonstop throughout the day, in what appeared to be some of the most intense fighting between Israel and Hamas since their 2014 war.
Nearly 30 people – including 10 children – have been killed in the airstrikes.
In Connecticut, groups are condemning the violence, saying restraint should be exercised by all parties.
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut released a statement calling on people of conscience and the government to address the illegal eviction of Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
"We also call for a halt to the violence against the innocent Palestinians attempting to perform their religious duty to pray at one of the holiest sites in Islam, in these the holiest days and nights of Ramadan,” the statement continued. “Outside intervention is sometimes necessary to promote peace, avoid further tensions, and to insist that freedom of worship be protected from fear, intimidation, and violence. We urge our government to be that moral voice that calls on Israel to honor these fundamental human rights."
Meanwhile, the Jewish Federation & Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford condemned the recent escalation of violence targeting civilians in Israel.
“Hundreds of rockets launched from Gaza have caused mounting deaths and injuries and forced millions to huddle in bomb shelters. We stand in solidarity with Israel, which has the right to defend itself against violence and terror, as does any sovereign nation,” it said. “We also call on the Palestinian Authority to stop inciting violence and to demand Hamas cease its rocket fire from Gaza’s densely populated areas, which also puts innocent Palestinians in harm’s way.”
The statement continued: “We mourn the loss of all innocent life and hope for a quick resolution to this crisis.”
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy also released a statement, saying he is deeply concerned by the events and encourages all parties to exercise restraint.
"Evictions of Palestinian residents, who have lived in homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah for a generation, are unjustified and must stop. So must Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians, Palestinian attacks on Jewish Israelis, and Hamas rocket and mortar launches,” he said. “I am also concerned about the Israeli forces’ militarized approach to this unrest, which is escalating, rather than de-escalating, the situation."
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