Clashes erupt at Jerusalem holy site, 152 Palestinians hurt: report

JERUSALEM — Palestinians clashed with Israeli police on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem earlier than daybreak on Friday as hundreds gathered for prayers through the holy month of Ramadan. Medics stated that a minimum of 152 Palestinians have been wounded.

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

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 The vacations are anticipated to carry tens of hundreds of devoted into Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis, dwelling to main websites sacred to all three religions.

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Hours after the clashes started, the police introduced that they’d put an finish to the violence and arrested “a whole lot” of suspects. They stated the mosque was re-opened and that Friday’s noon prayers would happen as ordinary. Tens of hundreds of individuals have been anticipated.

Israeli authorities stated they’d earlier held negotiations with Muslim leaders to make sure calm and permit the prayers to happen, however that Palestinian youths hurled stones at police, triggering the violence. Palestinian witnesses, who spoke on situation of anonymity out of safety issues, stated a small group of Palestinians threw rocks at police, who then entered the compound in drive, setting off a wider conflagration.

Movies circulating on-line confirmed Palestinians throwing rocks and fireworks and police firing tear fuel and stun grenades on the sprawling esplanade surrounding the mosque. Others confirmed worshippers barricading themselves contained in the mosque.

Later within the morning, Israeli police entered the mosque and have been arresting folks. Israeli safety forces not often enter the constructing, and once they do it’s seen by Palestinians as a significant escalation.

Israeli safety forces take place throughout clashes with Palestinians demonstrators in entrance of the Dome of the Rock shrine on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis, Friday, April 15, 2022. 
(AP Picture/Mahmoud Illean)

The Palestinian Crimson Crescent emergency service stated it handled 152 folks, a lot of them wounded by rubber-coated bullets or stun grenades, or crushed with batons. The endowment stated one of many guards on the website was shot within the eye with a rubber bullet.

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

The Israeli Overseas Ministry stated that dozens of masked males carrying Palestinian and Hamas flags had marched to the compound earlier than daybreak on Friday and gathered stones and different objects in anticipation of unrest.

Israeli safety forces take place throughout clashes with Palestinians demonstrators on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis, Friday, April 15, 2022. 
(AP Picture/Mahmoud Illean)

“Police have been pressured to enter the grounds to disperse the group and take away the stones and rocks, with a purpose to stop additional violence,” it tweeted.

The police stated they waited till prayers have been over and the crowds began to disperse. In an announcement, it stated crowds began hurling rocks within the course of the Western Wall, a close-by Jewish holy website, forcing them to behave.

Palestinians view any massive deployment of police at Al-Aqsa as a significant provocation.

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

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

Palestinians conflict with Israeli safety forces on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis Friday, April 15, 2022.
(AP Picture/Mahmoud Illean)

Israel captured east Jerusalem, dwelling to Al-Aqsa and different main holy websites, within the 1967 struggle and annexed it in a transfer not acknowledged internationally. Palestinians need the jap a part of the town to be the capital of a future impartial state together with the West Financial institution and Gaza, which Israel additionally captured through the struggle practically 55 years in the past.

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

The Palestinian Well being Ministry stated a 17-year-old died early Friday from wounds suffered throughout clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin, within the occupied West Financial institution, the day earlier than.

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Not less than 25 Palestinians have been killed within the latest wave of violence, in accordance with an Related Press depend, a lot of whom had carried out assaults or have been concerned within the clashes, but additionally an unarmed lady and a lawyer who seems to have been killed by mistake.

Weeks of protests and clashes in Jerusalem throughout Ramadan final yr finally ignited an 11-day struggle with Hamas, the Islamic militant group that guidelines the Gaza Strip.

Israel had lifted restrictions and brought different steps to try to calm tensions forward of Ramadan, however the assaults and the army raids have led to one other cycle of unrest.

Palestinians conflict with Israeli safety forces on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis Friday, April 15, 2022.
(AP Picture/Mahmoud Illean)

Hamas condemned what it stated have been “brutal assaults” on worshippers at Al-Aqsa by Israeli forces, saying Israel would bear “all the results.” It known as on all Palestinians to “stand by our folks in Jerusalem.”

Earlier this week, Hamas and different militant teams in Gaza had known 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.

Masked Palestinians take place throughout conflict with Israeli safety forces on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis Friday, April 15, 2022. 
(AP Picture/Mahmoud Illean)

Israeli safety forces collect throughout clashes with Palestinian demonstrators on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis Friday, April 15, 2022.
(AP Picture/Mahmoud Illean)

Israeli authorities say they’re dedicated to sustaining the established order, however in recent times nationalist and non secular Jews have visited the positioning in massive numbers with police escorts.

In latest weeks, a radical Jewish group had known as on folks to carry animals to the positioning with a purpose to sacrifice them for Passover, providing money rewards for many who succeeded and even tried. Israeli police work to stop such actions, however the name was broadly 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. It additionally famous that “bringing a sacrifice to the Temple Mount at the moment is in opposition to the choice of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.”