Days of tension in Jerusalem escalated into an exchange of fire on Monday, as Hamas fired dozens of rockets toward Israel and the Israeli military responded with strikes of its own and said it was preparing for a military operation that could last several days.
Why it matters: This is the first time Hamas has fired rockets at Jerusalem since 2014, and it's the most serious escalation between the Israelis and Palestinians in many months. It comes during the most sensitive days on the calendar — the last days of Ramadan and the Jerusalem Day commemoration on Monday — and as political crises roil both the Israeli and Palestinian governments.
Israeli officials have argued behind the scenes that the Biden administration shouldn't intervene over the recent escalation in violence between security forces and Palestinians at a holy site in Jerusalem, according to Israeli officials.
Why it matters: This is the first major crisis between Israel and the Palestinians that the Biden administration has had to deal with. Despite their resistance to any U.S. role in the crisis, the Israelis took the steps requested by the U.S. to de-escalate the situation.
The United Nations on Sunday called on Israel to show "maximum restraint and respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly" and national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed "serious concerns" about violence in Jerusalem.
Driving the news: Over 250 Palestinians and several Israeli police officers have been wounded since Friday during protests over planned evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the city's east — which Sullivan also expressed concern about, per a White House statement.
A roadside bus bombing in Afghanistan’s southern Zabul province killed at least 11 people and 25 others, officials said Monday, per Al Jazeera.
Of note: Sunday night's attack comes as officials said the death toll from Saturday's vehicle bombing outside a school in the capital, Kabul, rose to 85, CNN reports. No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.
American sprinter Justin Gatlin was among 420 athletes to participate in a Tokyo test event with pandemic precautions in place Sunday ahead of this summer's delayed Olympic Games.
The big picture: No spectators were present during the event at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium as the city remains under a COVID-19 state of emergency due to a spike in coronavirus cases.
The Algerian government announced Sunday that it would ban any protests that do not have prior approval, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The move is intended to limit the weekly mass protests of Algeria's Hirak movement, which resumed in February after a nearly year-long pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. Navy announced Saturday that it seized a cargo of illegal weapons from a stateless ship in the North Arabian Sea a few days earlier.
Why it matters: The press release noted that the source and destination of the weapons is being investigated. The weapons were apparently bound for Yemen to support the country's Houthi rebels, AP reported.
Remnants of the Long March-5B Y2 rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, officials in China announced Sunday morning Beijing time.
Details: Most of the rocket's debris burned up during the uncontrolled re-entry, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said in a social media post. NASA administrator Bill Nelson accused China's government in a statement Saturday of "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris."
Officials in Afghanistan said Sunday the death toll from a vehicle bombing outside a school in the capital, Kabul, has risen to 58, and hospitals were treating "at least 150" wounded people, per Reuters.
Why it matters: Saturday's blast that killed multiple high school girls is at least the second to strike students in Afghanistan in a little over a week.
Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters erupted for a second night in Jerusalem Saturday.
The big picture: Tensions have escalated on the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem over the threatened eviction of Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers. At least 80 Palestinians and one Israeli police officer were wounded in the latest clashes, per Reuters. Over 170 Palestinians were injured Friday.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans Saturday for a second independence referendum once the pandemic has abated following the country's parliamentary elections.
The big picture: Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP) won 64 seats, one seat short of an outright majority in the 129-seat Parliament. But most seats went to pro-independence parties.
