According to Xinhua News Agency, sirens sounded on the evening of December 15 in Jerusalem and several neighboring cities.
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| The Israeli military announced that at least six rockets were launched towards Jerusalem on the night of December 15. (Source: AFP) |
Loud explosions were heard in central Jerusalem and Israel's Iron Dome air defense system was activated to intercept the rockets.
The Israeli military announced that at least six rockets were launched towards Jerusalem, of which three were intercepted and the rest fell far from densely populated areas.
The al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas Islamist movement, has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.
In another related development, on the same day, members of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, chaired by Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, held an official meeting in the Norwegian capital Oslo with the participation of host country Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The meeting was also attended by the Foreign Ministers of the Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland) and the Benelux Union (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg), along with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani; Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi; Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki; Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hussein Ibrahim Taha.
At the meeting, the Arab-Muslim Ministerial Committee and its European partners discussed the serious developments in the Gaza Strip and the continued escalation of military actions against civilians by the Israeli occupation forces.
The committee reaffirmed its opposition to Israel's offensive actions in Gaza, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, as well as the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Delegates stressed the importance of holding the occupying forces accountable for their continued violations in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are contrary to international conventions and humanitarian law.
In addition, members of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee also urged the implementation of serious and urgent measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian, food and medical aid to Gaza, rejecting any restrictions on the process of bringing humanitarian aid into the area quickly and safely.
The Committee highlights the need to undertake serious political efforts to establish the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, in accordance with relevant international resolutions.
Speaking at a press conference in Oslo, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed hope that the region could avoid further violence. Prince Faisal urged the international community to support a new UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, especially the United States, which had previously vetoed the resolution.
Regarding the war, also on December 15, AFP reported that the White House National Security Council's Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, declared that the Israeli army's mistaken killing of three Israeli hostages in Gaza was a "disastrous mistake."
Speaking at a press conference, referring to the current conflict situation, a White House official revealed that the US has agreed with Israel that the fight against the Hamas Islamic movement in the Gaza Strip "could continue for many months".
On the same day, Gaza health authorities released statistics recording at least 18,800 people have been killed, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, and 51,000 others injured in the Palestinian territory since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict.
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