JERUSALEM — Palestinians clashed with Israeli police on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Friday as hundreds gathered for prayers in the course of the holy month of Ramadan. Medics stated greater than 150 Palestinians have been wounded in probably the most severe violence on the web site in almost a 12 months.

The holy web site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, has usually been the epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian unrest, and tensions have been already heightened amid a latest wave of violence. Clashes on the web site final 12 months helped spark an 11-day battle with Hamas militants within the Gaza Strip.

The clashes come at a very delicate time. Ramadan this 12 months coincides with Passover, a serious weeklong Jewish vacation starting Friday at sunset, and Christian holy week, which culminates on Easter Sunday. The vacations are anticipated to deliver tens of hundreds of devoted into Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis, house to main websites sacred to all three religions.

Hours after the clashes started, the police stated that they had put an finish to the violence and arrested “a whole lot” of suspects. The mosque was re-opened, and a few 60,000 folks attended the primary Friday prayers noon, in accordance with the Waqf, the Islamic endowment that administers the positioning.

After prayers, hundreds of Palestinians marched across the esplanade, chanting “with our souls, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Al-Aqsa,” along with slogans in help of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that guidelines Gaza.

Lower than a kilometer (mile) away, hundreds of Christians marched in a procession retracing the normal journey of Jesus to the cross in honor of Good Friday. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was open to guests, who’re returning to the Holy Land in massive numbers for the primary time since earlier than the pandemic. The violence was confined to the mosque compound.

Israeli authorities stated that earlier than the unrest broke out that they had negotiated with Muslim leaders to strive to make sure calm. However the police say Palestinians stockpiled rocks and different objects contained in the compound and hurled stones on the Mughrabi Gate, which results in the Western Wall – a serious Jewish holy web site – triggering the violence.

Palestinian witnesses, who spoke on situation of anonymity out of safety considerations, stated a small group of Palestinians threw rocks at police, who then entered the compound in power, setting off a wider conflagration. Palestinians view any massive deployment of police at Al-Aqsa as a provocation.

Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks, and police fired tear fuel and stun grenades on the sprawling esplanade surrounding the mosque. Dozens of Palestinians barricaded themselves contained in the mosque as they fought Israeli safety forces.

Israeli police later entered the mosque and arrested folks inside. The police not often enter the constructing, which is seen by Palestinians as an escalation.

The Palestinian Crimson Crescent emergency service stated it handled 152 folks, lots of them wounded by rubber-coated bullets or stun grenades.

Video footage confirmed police beating a photographer for the Waqf with batons earlier than knocking him to floor and kicking him. The Waqf stated the photographer, Rami Khatib, suffered a damaged hand. There was no instant remark from police.

The Israeli police stated three officers have been wounded from “large stone-throwing,” with two evacuated from the scene for remedy.

Neighboring Jordan, which has custodianship over the holy web site, and the Palestinian Authority issued a joint assertion accusing Israel of “a harmful and condemnable escalation that threatens to blow up the scenario.” Egypt additionally condemned the “Israeli raid.”

Israel’s public safety minister, Omer Barlev, who oversees the police power, stated Israel had “no curiosity” in violence on the holy web site however that police have been pressured to confront “violent parts” who attacked them with stones and steel bars. He stated Israel was dedicated to freedom of worship for Jews and Muslims alike.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated authorities “are working to calm issues on the Temple Mount and all through Israel. On the identical time, we’re ready for any state of affairs.”

The mosque is the third holiest web site in Islam. It’s constructed on a hilltop in Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis that’s the most sacred web site for Jews, who discuss with it because the Temple Mount as a result of it was the positioning of the Jewish temples in antiquity. It has been a serious flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence for many years and was the epicenter of the 2000-2005 Palestinian intifada, or rebellion.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, together with the Previous Metropolis, within the 1967 battle and annexed it in a transfer not acknowledged internationally. Palestinians need the jap a part of town to be the capital of a future state together with the West Financial institution and Gaza, which Israel additionally captured in the course of the battle almost 55 years in the past.

Tensions have soared in latest weeks following a collection of assaults by Palestinians that killed 14 folks inside Israel. Israeli troops have carried out a wave of arrests and army operations throughout the occupied West Financial institution, setting off clashes with Palestinians.

At the very least 25 Palestinians have been killed, in accordance with an Related Press depend. Many had carried out assaults or have been concerned within the clashes, however an unarmed girl and a lawyer who seems to have been a bystander have been additionally amongst these killed.

Weeks of protests and clashes in and round Al-Aqsa throughout Ramadan final 12 months helped ignite a fourth Gaza battle between Israel and Hamas. This 12 months, Israel has lifted restrictions and brought different steps to try to calm tensions, however the assaults and the army raids are fueling one other cycle of unrest.

Hamas condemned what it stated have been “brutal assaults” on worshippers at Al-Aqsa, saying Israel would bear “all the implications.”

Earlier this week, Hamas and different militant teams in Gaza had referred to as on Palestinians to camp out on the Al-Aqsa mosque over the weekend. Palestinians have lengthy feared that Israel plans to take over the positioning or partition it.

Israeli authorities say they’re dedicated to sustaining the established order, however lately massive teams of nationalist and non secular Jews have frequently visited the positioning with police escorts.

A radical Jewish group not too long ago referred to as on folks to deliver animals to the positioning to be able to sacrifice them for Passover, providing money rewards for individuals who succeeded and even tried. Israeli police work to stop such actions, however the name was extensively circulated by Palestinians on social media, together with requires Muslims to stop any sacrifices from happening.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall, issued an announcement calling on Muslim leaders to behave to cease the violence. He additionally famous that “bringing a sacrifice to the Temple Mount as we speak is in opposition to the choice of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.”