Dozens injured as Israeli police, Palestinians conflict at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque

Scores of individuals have been injured Saturday as Israeli police fired water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse Palestinian protesters in annexed east Jerusalem, a day after fierce clashes on the metropolis’s Al-Aqsa mosque.The contemporary violence, a day after greater than 200 individuals have been wounded on the mosque, prompted worldwide requires an finish to the violence.Police stated they dispersed the rally within the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood the place demonstrators had thrown stones at safety forces.Officials stated Sunday a rocket had been fired from the Gaza Strip, with the Israel Defense Forces responding by hanging a “military target” within the south. Earlier, officers had fired tear gasoline in direction of protesters on the border.In Jerusalem, police stated they made three arrests for assaults on officers, whereas Palestinians reported 13 different arrests earlier within the day.The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 90 individuals have been wounded in Saturday’s clashes in Jerusalem, revising up their earlier estimate of 53.AFP journalists in Jerusalem stated Israeli riot police had fired rubber bullets, sound grenades and water cannon on Palestinians Saturday, a few of whom threw projectiles on the police. One officer acquired a head harm, stated police.On Friday, riot police stormed Al-Aqsa mosque compound, after they stated Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks at officers.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the police actions.”Israel is acting responsibly to ensure respect for law and order in Jerusalem while allowing freedom of worship,” he stated in a gathering of safety officers.The violence was the worst in years at Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third-holiest website after Mecca and Medina, situated on the positioning Jews revere because the Temple Mount.A focusPalestinians have held nightly protests in Sheikh Jarrah in opposition to an try by Israeli settlers to take over Arab houses.On Saturday, protesters chanted, waved Palestinian flags and threw stones earlier than police moved in.Dozens of Arab Israeli protesters additionally gathered throughout Israel in solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah residents, holding up indicators that learn “the occupation is terrorism”.A reporter for Israeli public TV tweeted footage of a Jewish driver whose automobile was attacked with stones and home windows shattered on the entrance to Sheikh Jarrah Saturday.Also Read | Palestinians, Israel police conflict at Al-Aqsa mosque, 53 damagePolice blocked buses full of Arabs headed for Jerusalem from northern Israel, saying they might not be allowed “to participate in violent riots”.Instead, a whole lot marched on highways resulting in town.Thousands of worshippers stayed on at Al-Aqsa on Saturday for Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny), a peak of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.The Islamist motion Hamas, which guidelines Gaza, urged Palestinians to stay at Al-Aqsa till Ramadan ends, warning that “the resistance is ready to defend Al-Aqsa at any cost”.Outside the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City, Palestinians set hearth to a barricade earlier than police on horseback dispersed the protesters.’Extreme concern’ The Quartet of envoys from the European Union, Russia, the United States and the United Nations expressed “deep concern” over the violence.”We call upon Israeli authorities to exercise restraint,” they wrote.The United States — an Israeli ally whose tone has toughened below US President Joe Biden — stated it was “extremely concerned” and urged each side to “avoid steps that exacerbate tensions or take us farther away from peace”.”This includes evictions in east Jerusalem, settlement activity, home demolitions and acts of terrorism,” the State Department stated.The European Union known as on the authorities “to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions,” saying “violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable”.Russia voiced “deep concern”, calling the expropriation of land and property within the occupied Palestinian territories together with east Jerusalem “a violation of international law”.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas stated he held the Israeli authorities answerable for the unrest and voiced “full support for our heroes in Al-Aqsa”.Yair Lapid, an Israeli politician trying to type a coalition authorities to exchange Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, backed the police.”The state of Israel will not let violence run loose and definitely will not allow terror groups to threaten it,” he tweeted.’Barbaric assault’ The Al-Aqsa clashes drew sharp rebukes throughout the Arab and Muslim world.Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Israel as a “cruel terrorist state” in a speech in Ankara Saturday, calling on the United Nations to intervene to “stop the persecution”.Jordan condemned Israel’s “barbaric attack” and Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and Qatar have been amongst Muslim international locations that blasted Israeli forces for the confrontation.Israel additionally drew criticism from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, two international locations that signed normalisation accords with the Jewish state final 12 months.Iran known as on the United Nations to sentence the Israeli police actions, arguing that “this war crime once again proved to the world the criminal nature of the illegitimate Zionist regime”.Tensions are anticipated to stay excessive in Jerusalem.Israel’s supreme courtroom is to carry a brand new listening to within the Sheikh Jarrah case on Monday, when Israelis mark Jerusalem Day to rejoice the “liberation” of town.Also Read | Girl shoots 3 at Idaho college in US, instructor disarms her