NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday to provide a path for Jewish visitors to the holy site, sparking clashes in which 17 Palestinians were injured, according to Palestinian medical workers.
The riots came just two days after clashes with Palestinians in the same place. Violence in Jerusalem between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters escalated a year ago in an 11-day war in Gaza.
The hilltop complex that houses the mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, while it is the holiest site for Jews who call it the Temple Mount. Competing claims against the site have sparked numerous rounds of violence.
This year, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Christian holy week culminating in Easter and the one-week Jewish Passover take place at the same time, with tens of thousands of visitors flocking to the city after restrictions on the coronavirus were largely lifted.
Israeli police have accused the Palestinians of “desecrating and desecrating” a sacred site, while Palestinian authorities have accused Israel of trying to divide the sensitive holy site. “What happened at the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a dangerous escalation, the consequences of which will be borne only by the Israeli government,” said Nabil Abu Rdene, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
IRAN CONFIRMS THAT CENTRIFUGE WORKER MOVED TO UNDERGROUND SITE
Police said they entered the complex to facilitate the routine visit of Jews to the holy site. They said Palestinians had stored stones and erected barriers in anticipation of violence.
Amateur videos circulating on social media appear to show police using batons to subdue arrested Palestinians and clear people of the esplanade, attracting accusations that they are using excessive force. In one video, a police officer strikes an apparently unarmed man with a stick while standing next to a child.
Omer Barlev, the Israeli police minister, said it was important to guarantee religious freedom, “but we will not compromise when there is violence and terror.”
Police cleared Palestinians of the extensive platoon in front of the mosque early Sunday as dozens of Palestinians remained inside the building, chanting “God is the greatest.” A video released by police shows small groups of young people throwing stones, as well as fireworks shooting from inside the mosque.
Israeli police are based in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday, April 17, 2022. Israeli police clashed with Palestinians in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque after police cleared Palestinians from the large complex to facilitate routine Jewish visits to the holy site and accused Palestinians storing stones in anticipation of violence. (AP Photo / Mahmoud Illean)
Palestinians reported brief clashes with Israeli police just outside the mosque complex, while police said Palestinians threw stones at buses outside the Old City. Paramedics said five people traveling on buses received treatment for minor injuries in the attacks.
Police released a video showing a crowd of young people shooting at a passing bus with stones right in front of the Old Town. Another video from the police, taken in one of the buses, shows Jewish families sitting on the floor of the vehicle as it continues on its way.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has ordered additional security for public buses traveling to the Old City, after assessing the situation with senior defense officials.
“We are working to calm things down, on the one hand, and we are taking vigorous action against bullies on the other,” he said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Medical Service said 17 Palestinians were injured, including five who were hospitalized. Israeli police said nine people had been arrested. Witnesses said police left the complex by noon.
Jordan, which serves as a guardian of the holy place, issued a statement condemning Israel’s actions, saying they “undermine all efforts to maintain comprehensive peace and prevent the escalation of violence that threatens security and peace.”
According to long-standing beliefs, Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount, but they are forbidden to pray there. For decades, Jews avoided worship there for religious reasons.
Israeli authorities say they are committed to maintaining the status quo, but in recent years large groups of nationalists and religious Jews have regularly visited the site with police escorts, something the Palestinians see as a provocation. The number of visitors often increases during religious holidays. Palestinian authorities said nearly 550 Jewish visitors had entered the complex, up from just a few dozen on most days.
IRAN ACCUSES ISRAEL OF “ZIONIST” AGGRESSION, PROMISES NEW SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS AFTER COLLISION IN HOLY PLACE
Such practices have raised fears among Palestinians that Israel plans to take over or divide the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. Israel categorically denies such allegations, saying it is committed to defending freedom of worship for all.
Clashes erupted before dawn on Friday after police said Palestinians were throwing stones at the Western Wall, a neighboring Jewish holy site. Police came into force and clashed with dozens of Palestinians shortly after the dawn prayer.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, along with the West Bank and Gaza during the 1967 war. The Palestinians want a future state in all three territories. Israel annexes East Jerusalem in a non-internationally recognized process and builds and expands settlements in the occupied West Bank. Hamas has controlled Gaza, which has been under Israeli and Egyptian blockades since an Islamic extremist group took power there in 2007.
A radical Jewish group recently called on people to bring animals to the site to sacrifice them for the Passover, offering cash prizes for those who have succeeded or even tried. Israeli police are working to prevent such activities, but the call was widely circulated by Palestinians on social media, along with calls for Muslims to prevent any casualties.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Israeli police have accused Palestinians of spreading disinformation on social media, escalating tensions.
Add Comment