 The United States Department spokesman Ned Prince said on Monday that rocket attacks on Israel fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza were an unacceptable escalation, following violent confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem. Prince made the comment at a regular news briefing, saying that the US was fully engaged to promote claim and calm in Jerusalem. Palestinian militants in Gaza fired rockets towards the Jerusalem area and southern Israel on Monday, carrying out threats to punish Israel for violent confrontations with Palestinians in Jerusalem. The Gaza Health Ministry said nine Palestinians, including three children, were killed in a series of strikes in northern Gaza. United States condemns in the strongest terms the barrage of rocket attacks fired into Israel in recent hours. This is an unacceptable escalation. While we urge de-escalation on all sides, we also recognize Israel's legitimate right to defend itself, to defend its people, and its territory. It is critical for all sides to ensure calm and de-escalate tensions and avoid violent confrontations, such as the responsible decision to reroute today's parade. More broadly, we're deeply concerned about the situation in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including violent confrontations in Jerusalem, particularly in the Haram al-Sharif Temple Mount that has resulted in at least 180 additional injuries, as well as the rocket fire from Gaza hitting houses in Jerusalem and the threat of further rocket attacks. The United States will remain fully engaged to promote calm in Jerusalem, and we welcome the steps the Israeli Government has taken in recent days aimed at avoiding provocations, including the decision to avoid confrontations during the Jerusalem today commemoration, and the delay in the decision regarding the Sheikh Jarrah evictions.