Over 200 injured as Palestinians & Israeli police clash in Jerusalem

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RT

Massive clashes broke out between the Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers who took to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, as tensions over the pending eviction of some Palestinian families boiled over at the end of Ramadan.

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Over 200 injured, Ruptly cameraman attacked as Palestinians & Israeli police clash near Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem

Massive clashes broke out between the Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers who took to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, as tensions over the pending eviction of some Palestinian families boiled over at the end of Ramadan.

At least 205 Palestinians were injured in clashes with police across Jerusalem on Friday, including near the Al-Aqsa mosque, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Dozens of people were hospitalized, with the most affected suffering injuries to their faces and eyes after being hit but rubber bullets and shrapnel from stun grenades.

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Earlier, the Israeli media also reported that at least 12 police officers suffered injuries. Fierce scuffles broke out after the Israeli police deployed large forces to the Al-Aqsa mosque, where tens of thousands of Muslims gathered for the last Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan.

The worshippers started hurling chairs, rocks and shoes at the police that responded by using rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades. Footage published on the social media show crowds throwing what appears to be pieces of furniture and rocks at the officers in riot gear amid the thin plumes of what appears to be smoke or tear gas.

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At some point, some of the protesters can be seen rushing at police and even jumping at the officers. A large group of worshippers also found itself trapped inside the mosque as a result of the clashes.

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Clearing the media from the plateau, one Israeli officer threatened to break the camera of a Ruptly stringer, interrupting the live feed from the scene. Ruptly was back online several minutes later, however.

Israeli authorities also closed the Damascus Gate and cordoned off Jerusalem's Old City to take the situation under control.

"The Israel Police will not surrender to any provocation and will continue to allow everyone, whoever they are, the freedom to demonstrate within the limits of the law. With this, we will continue to act uncompromisingly in cases where the law is breached," the law enforcement said in a statement on Friday.

"We will not allow the disruption of order, any form of violence and attempts to harm officers while taking advantage of the freedom of religion," said another statement, issued after the police regained control over the Temple Mount.

The plateau covers the ruins of the ancient Hebrew Temple, destroyed by Romans in 70 AD, and considered the holiest site in Judaism. The Mount is also sacred to Muslims, however, and is home to three mosques and four minarets.

The current unrest was triggered by a twist in a long legal battle between several Palestinian families and Israeli settlers that seek to displace them from the nearby Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Palestinian protesters and Israeli police have clashed in the area throughout Ramadan.

As an Israeli high court judge is considering whether to overrule the Palestinians' eviction, France, Germany and the UK have called upon Tel Aviv to cease its settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The UN also warned Israel that its forced evictions in East Jerusalem might "amount to war crimes."

Meanwhile, the unrest risks sparking a larger conflict between Israel and Palestinians. Leader of the Islamist militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, sent a direct message to the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning him against playing "with fire."

"We will defend Jerusalem no matter what sacrifices we must make," Haniyeh reportedly said, according to the Israeli media, which also reported several Palestinians waved the flags of Hamas near Al-Aqsa on Friday.

Leader of another militant group – Islamic Jihad – also said on Friday that "it is impossible to tolerate what is happening in Jerusalem and the enemy must expect our response at any moment."

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a UN Security Council session about the clashes in East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Meanwhile, Qatar slammed the deployment of the Israeli security forces to the Temple Mount, which it called a "provocation" against millions of Muslims around the world.

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At least 80 injured, including ONE-YEAR-OLD BABY, amid clashes between Palestinians & Israeli police in Jerusalem (VIDEO)
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Dozens of people were injured overnight in Jerusalem as clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque amid anger over planned forced evictions in annexed East Jerusalem.

At least 80 people were injured across Jerusalem on Sunday, the Palestine Red Crescent said in a statement. Several underage children were among the injured, including a one-year-old baby, and some 14 people have been hospitalized, the group added. One paramedic received injuries as well.

The tensions were particularly high around Damascus Gate, one of the main entrances to Jerusalem's Old City. There was an especially high presence of Israeli police there, who were backed up by mounted units and water cannons. Palestinian youth clashed with the Israeli forces, pelting them with various projectiles and tearing down police barricades. The police fired rubber-coated bullets and repeatedly used stun grenades to contain the crowd.

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Palestinians accused the Israeli police of trying to prevent them from praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The latest clashes came as thousands of Muslims flocked to the Old City to celebrate Laylat al-Qadr on Saturday, one of the most revered nights in the holy month of Ramadan. According to Islamic belief, the first verses of the Koran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed on this night.

"They do not want us to pray. There is a fight every day, every day there are clashes. Every day there are troubles," a Palestinian protester told Reuters at Damascus Gate.

Tensions have been particularly high in Jerusalem in recent days. Friday turned out to be particularly violent, with over 200 Palestinians and at least 18 Israeli police injured.

The violence has been fueled by Tel Aviv's move to seemingly prevent Muslim pilgrims from entering Jerusalem. On Saturday, dozens of buses with pilgrims were stopped on the main highway to Jerusalem, as police asserted some of them were planning to "riot" and forced the "suspicious" passengers off the buses.

The looming forced evictions of several Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, part of the occupied Palestinian territories, in order to allow Israeli settlers to move in, have also contributed to the ongoing tensions. If the court allows the evictions to proceed, six families face the threat of immediate removal, with seven more likely to be forced out by August, bringing a total number of those evicted to around 60.

Earlier this year, the Israeli Central Court in East Jerusalem approved the evictions, but the final decision on the matter is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. The court was scheduled to rule on the evictions on Thursday, but the hearing was delayed until May 10 amid widespread Palestinian protests.

Speaking after the overnight violence on Sunday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off the criticism of the eviction plans, saying Israel "firmly rejects" the pressure not to build in Jerusalem.