At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the besieged Gaza Strip. Among the dead were 9 children. Qatar-based Al Jazeera quoted the Palestinian Ministry of Health as saying.

At least 75 others were injured in the incident on Monday (May 10th).

Earlier, hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, were injured in three days of attacks by Israeli security forces in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, fired dozens of rockets at Israeli targets in Jerusalem on Monday in protest. Israel then launched air strikes on Gaza.

Meanwhile, a massive explosion rocked the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the same day. According to Al Jazeera, the flames from the eruption were so large and bright that flames could be seen from different parts of the city of East Jerusalem.

At least 331 people, including members of the Israeli police force, were injured in the blast.

Protests have been going on in Jerusalem for the past several days over the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip. Israeli security forces stormed a rally on Sunday (May 9th) on the night of Laylat al-Qadr, after Palestinian worshipers began praying in al-Aqsa.

At least 90 Palestinians were injured in the clashes that day. Israeli police have cordoned off the Al Aqsa Mosque and surrounding areas since the clashes.

As a result, Hamas, one of the main political parties in Palestine, threatens the ruling Israeli government. The group said the Israeli government would be held responsible if security forces were not withdrawn from the mosque premises by 6pm on May 10.

But since the Israeli government did not heed the threat, Hamas launched a rocket attack on various Israeli installations from Gaza after the evening of May 10. The Israeli army launched an air strike on Gaza shortly after Hamas launched the offensive.