Palestinians conflict with Israeli safety forces on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Previous Metropolis, April 15, 2022. (AP Photograph/Mahmoud Illean)
JERUSALEM --
Palestinians and Israeli police clashed on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Friday as 1000's gathered for prayers through the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Medics stated greater than 150 Palestinians have been wounded -- Palestinians threw rocks and Israeli police fired stun grenades in what was 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 typically been the epicentre of Israeli-Palestinian unrest, and tensions have been already heightened amid a current 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 significant weeklong Jewish vacation starting Friday at sunset, and Christian holy week, which culminates on Easter Sunday. The vacations are anticipated to deliver tens of 1000's of devoted into Jerusalem's Previous Metropolis, house to main websites sacred to all three religions.
Hours after the clashes started, the police stated they'd 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 response to the Waqf, the Islamic endowment that administers the location.
After prayers, 1000's 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, 1000's 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 they'd negotiated with Muslim leaders to attempt 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 significant 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 pressure, 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 hardly ever enter the constructing, which is seen by Palestinians as an escalation.
The Palestinian Pink Crescent emergency service stated it handled 152 folks, a lot 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 rapid remark from police.
The Israeli police stated three officers have been wounded from "huge stone-throwing," with two evacuated from the scene for therapy.
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 state of affairs." Egypt additionally condemned the "Israeli raid."
Israel's public safety minister, Omer Barlev, who oversees the police pressure, 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 location 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.
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 through the battle almost 55 years in the past.
Tensions have soared in current weeks following a collection of assaults by Palestinians that killed 14 folks inside Israel. Israeli troops have carried out a wave of arrests and navy operations throughout the occupied West Financial institution, setting off clashes with Palestinians.
No less than 25 Palestinians have been killed, in response to 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 attempt to calm tensions, however the assaults and the navy 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 results."
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 location or partition it.
Israeli authorities say they're dedicated to sustaining the established order, however in recent times massive teams of nationalist and spiritual Jews have repeatedly visited the location with police escorts.
A radical Jewish group not too long ago referred to as on folks to deliver animals to the location with the intention to sacrifice them for Passover, providing money rewards for individuals who succeeded and even tried. Israeli police work to forestall such actions, however the name was broadly circulated by Palestinians on social media, together with requires Muslims to forestall 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 immediately is in opposition to the choice of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel."
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Related Press reporter Wafaa Shurafa in Gaza Metropolis, Gaza Strip contributed to this report.
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