Jerusalem on edge as violence flares at key holy web site

Earlier, police launched CCTV video exhibiting masked males apparently making ready for clashes in a single day by smashing up rocks and gathering them in black buckets.

Police mentioned a number of officers have been taken to hospitals after they have been hit by rocks.

Following preliminary clashes on the compound and on the doorways to the mosque, Israeli police entered the constructing round 9:30 a.m., as evidenced by quite a few social media movies.

Worshipers might be seen mendacity on the bottom apparently detained, as dozens of police stood over them.

Different movies present heavy smoke contained in the mosque and the fixed sound of firecrackers and stun grenades going off.

Israeli police mentioned they made greater than 300 arrests contained in the mosque however insisted they’d solely entered the compound as a result of these throwing rocks have been jeopardizing secure worship.

On the Damascus Gate entrance to the Previous Metropolis, one of many primary entrances for Muslims on their method to the al-Aqsa mosque, police briefly prevented individuals from getting into.

Earlier, at entrances to the mosque compound, police have been permitting older women and men to enter, however stopping younger males from becoming a member of them.

In an announcement, Israeli police mentioned violence broke out at four a.m. native time Friday (9 p.m. ET Thursday) when “dozens of younger Palestinian lawbreakers, a few of them with heads lined, started to march round Temple Mount, with Hamas and Palestinian Authority flags, letting off fireworks and throwing stones.”

Israel’s International Minister, Yair Lapid, paid tribute to safety forces, saying they’d acted with sensitivity and dedication, including, “The riots this morning on the Temple Mount are unacceptable and go towards the spirit of the religions we consider in.”

Whereas tensions have been very excessive in Israel and the West Financial institution in current weeks, following a collection of violent assaults and incidents, Jerusalem itself has been calm.

Fears of potential clashes within the metropolis had been rising nevertheless, following feedback during the last week by each Jewish extremists and Palestinian militant teams.

Hamas has accused Israel of a collection of provocations in Jerusalem, most not too long ago calling on Palestinians to defend the mosque “with all potential means” after an extremist Jewish group known as for an animal sacrifice on the Temple Mount to mark the beginning of Passover, which begins Friday.

The Rabbi of the Western Wall Friday morning known as on Muslim leaders to behave to cease the violence, in addition to repeating his opposition to the elevating of an animal sacrifice to the Temple Mount.

Along with current occasions, the coincidence of all three of the principle Abrahamic faiths celebrating an vital spiritual vacation on the identical day solely appeared to up the ante additional.

Whereas Muslims are marking the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, and Jews are making ready for the beginning of the Passover vacation, Christians from Western church buildings are marking Good Friday. From early morning, small teams might be seen making their means by means of the Previous Metropolis in direction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians consider stands on the positioning the place Jesus was crucified.

However Friday morning’s scenes have introduced again reminiscences of 1 12 months in the past, when violence in Jerusalem was seized on by Hamas who fired rockets on the metropolis, triggering an 11-day struggle between militants in Gaza and the Israeli military.

The violence of the morning had prompted sharp criticism of Israeli forces’ actions, specifically the choice to enter the mosque constructing sporting sneakers, which is seen by Muslims as deeply disrespectful.

The presence of Israeli police contained in the Aqsa mosque compound can also be thought to be placing a pressure on a “established order” settlement between Israel and Jordan governing preparations on the spiritual web site.

Jordan’s International Ministry condemned what it described because the storming of the compound, calling it a “flagrant violation.”

A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority Presidency known as it a “harmful growth.”

The United Arab Listing, one of many eight events in Israel’s governing coalition, spoke of the sanctity of the mosque being violated.

However towards the worst fears of many, the afternoon was calm, and so it remained effectively into the night, with later prayers on the mosque ending peacefully.

Hamas — after earlier within the day calling for “mass mobilization” to defend the mosque and warning Israeli leaders “towards persevering with their aggression” — later launched an announcement very totally different in tone, suggesting pressing communications between key regional gamers in the course of the day might need helped tamp down tensions.

The night assertion mentioned Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh had mentioned the scenario in Jerusalem with senior Egyptian intelligence officers and the UN’s Center East envoy Tor Wennesland, who had “known as on all events to work on containing the scenario within the holy metropolis.”

Haniyeh informed the UN official that Palestinian worshippers ought to be “allowed free entry to the mosque and never be attacked by Israeli occupation forces,” the assertion mentioned.