Weeks of violent clashes in East Jerusalem have ignited the heaviest fighting in years between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
At the core of the violence that has left dozens dead are tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over Jerusalem, which contains sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
As both sides appear to be digging in for more prolonged fighting, here are some of the factors that triggered the escalation.
Jerusalem at Core of Conflict.
Politics, history and religion all place Jerusalem at the centre of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City is the hill known to Jews across the world as Temple Mount -The holiest site in Judaism and to Muslims internationally as The Noble Sanctuary. It was home to the Jewish temples of antiquity. Two Muslim holy places now stand there, the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Christians also revere the city as the place where they believe that Jesus preached, died and was resurrected.
Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern section as a capital of a future state. Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem is unrecognised internationally.
-Amit Rajak
