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Mosque officials say Israeli police entered before dawn after seven Palestinians were killed Wednesday.
Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, with medics saying at least 152 Palestinians had been injured in the ensuing violence.
The Islamic Fund, which runs the site, said Israeli police came into force before dawn on Friday as thousands of worshipers gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers.
Videos circulating online show Palestinians throwing stones and police using tear gas and stunning grenades. Others showed worshipers barricading themselves in the mosque amid what looked like clouds of tear gas.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Emergency Service said it had evacuated most of those injured in hospitals. According to the gift, one of the security guards of the site was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet.
The Palestinian Red Crescent added that Israeli forces had prevented ambulances and paramedics from arriving at the mosque, as Palestinian media reported that dozens of wounded worshipers remained trapped in the complex.
Israeli police said they had arrested at least 300 Palestinians during the latest escalation.
Israeli police said they entered the complex, the third holiest site in Islam and revered by Jews as Temple Mount, to break up a “violent” mob left at the end of morning prayers.
Israeli security forces say they have arrested at least 300 Palestinians during the latest escalation [Hazem Bader/AFP]
They said they entered “to disperse and repel” the crowd after a group of Palestinians began throwing stones at a nearby Jewish place of worship on the Western Wall.
In a report from the gates of Damascus, Najwan al-Samri of Al Jazeera said that Israeli police forces stormed the complex of the Al-Aqsa Mosque without pretext and attacked worshipers near the Qibli prayer hall after the morning prayer.
She added that the escalation came as far-right Jewish groups called for raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque complex during the Jewish Passover holiday and animal sacrifices in its yards, which has not happened since ancient times.
Tensions have escalated in recent weeks. Israel is making arrests and military attacks in the illegally occupied West Bank after a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel, sparking clashes that killed several Palestinians, including seven on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are expected to gather in Al-Aqsa for Friday afternoon prayers as Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan.
Weeks of protests and attacks on Al-Aqsa during Ramadan last year escalated into an 11-day attack on the besieged Gaza Strip.
The war killed at least 260 Palestinians, as well as 13 Israelis, and caused significant damage to the already impoverished territory.
This year’s Ramadan coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover and Christian Holy Week, bringing thousands of pilgrims and other visitors to Jerusalem.
Far-right Jewish groups call for raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque complex [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
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