Escalating Violence Between Israel, Hamas Raises Regional Concerns 

AMMAN - The fiercest cross-border fighting between Israelis and Palestinians since 2014 has seen a mounting death and injury toll, prompting the United Nations to warn that the conflict could escalate into a "full-scale war." Relentless rocket fire traded between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza was triggered by weekend unrest at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, sacred to both Muslims and Jews.  Observers saw hopes fade for a truce brokered for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday starting Thursday.   

Observers say incidents during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan contributed to mounting hostilities including extreme right Israelis marching through East Jerusalem, the threat of forced evictions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood by Jewish settlers, and clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.   Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to cancel Palestinian elections that had been scheduled for the first time in 15 years also increased frustrations.     Jordan is the custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under a 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Its top diplomat, Ayman Safadi, was in Washington earlier this week calling for a deescalation.