TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA) – The UN General Assembly will convene this week to discuss Israel's ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip, the assembly's president announced on Monday.

The Thursday morning meeting will address "the grave situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories," Volkan Bozkir said on Twitter, according to Anadolu Agency. 

The new round of conflict began after Hamas and Islamic Jihad gave Tel Aviv an ultimatum to withdraw its troops from Al-Aqsa mosque and release the Palestinian detainees. Prior to that, the Israeli security forces tried to forcefully evict Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in holy Quds which was followed by the Palestinian resistance group's ultimatum.

More than 200 Palestinians, including 59 children and 35 women, have been martyred so far while more than 1,305 people have also been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

In response, the Gaza Resistance forces have fired thousands of rockets towards occupied lands, killing and injuring dozens of Zionists. The conflict has also crippled the Israeli economy.

KI/PR