A minimum of 57 Palestinians had been injured in clashes with Israeli police throughout the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Friday, medics stated, as violence continued throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a web page additionally respected by means of Jews.
In what would possibly presage wider struggle, Israel stated two rockets had been fired from Gaza, one falling quick and every other hanging around the border with out harm. It used to be the 1/3 such incident this week, breaking months of relative calm at the Gazan entrance.
Al-Aqsa sits atop the Previous Town plateau of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in a 1967 struggle and annexed in a transfer that has now not gained global reputation. Palestinians need East Jerusalem because the capital in their hoped-for long run state.
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Palestinians accuse Israel of proscribing Muslim worship at Al-Aqsa – the third-holiest web page in Islam – whilst now not doing sufficient to put in force a long-standing ban on Jewish prayer on the compound. Israel denies this.
Israeli police stated they intervened when masses of other folks hurled rocks and fireworks and drew just about the Western Wall, the place Jewish worship used to be underway. A policewoman used to be injured by means of a stone and a tree used to be set alight by means of the fireworks, police stated.
Reuters witnesses stated police entered the compound after the morning Ramadan prayers and fired rubber-tipped bullets and stun grenades at a crowd, a few of whom had been throwing rocks. Police extensively utilized a drone to drop tear fuel.
The surge of violence in Jerusalem has raised fears of a repeat of remaining yr’s struggle between Israel and the Hamas Islamists ruling Gaza.
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Hamas warring parties “have their palms at the rifle triggers, and we can protect Al-Aqsa mosque with all our would possibly”, Hamas reliable Mushir al-Masri instructed a rally in northern Gaza.
No Palestinian faction claimed Friday’s rocket salvo.
Since March 22, Arab assailants have killed 14 other folks in Israel, together with 3 law enforcement officials, and Israeli forces have killed no less than 14 Palestinians, amongst them gunmen and civilians, within the occupied West Financial institution, medics stated.
Ramadan coincides with the Jewish birthday celebration of Passover this yr. That has introduced extra Muslim and Jewish guests to the compound, which is a vestige of 2 historic Jewish temples.
As in earlier years, Israel halted Jewish visits throughout the general days of Ramadan, as of Friday, an Israeli reliable stated.
