US strongly condemns terror attacks in West Bank, Tel Aviv

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US has strongly condemned deadly terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones, and wish a full recovery to the injured,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement late Friday.

“The three horrific attacks today, in which three were killed and at least eight others wounded, affected citizens of Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom,” Patel added. “The targeting of innocent civilians of any nationality is unconscionable.”

Noting that the US “stands with the government and people of Israel,” Patel added: “We are in close contact with our Israeli partners and reaffirm our enduring commitment to their security.”

Tension escalated across Palestinian territories in recent days after Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem and forcibly removed worshippers on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Israeli raids on the mosque triggered rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, with Israeli retaliating with airstrikes.

Palestinians accuse Israel of systematically working to Judaize East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, and obliterate its Arab and Islamic identity.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.