On Sunday, violent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protestors continued in Jerusalem for the third consecutive night. The violence follows a raid on the Al Aqsa mosque compound by Israeli riot police on Friday, during which at least 200 Palestinians were injured.
During the clashes, rocks, chairs, bottles, and fireworks were hurled by protestors at Israeli forces who responded with rubber bullets and stun grenades. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, around 100 people were injured on Saturday, all of whom were Palestinians. “Ten of those injured were treated inside the compound of Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque, five shot in the head with rubber bullets were treated in the field, four shot in the hands and foot were treated in the field and one injured in the face was taken to hospital,” the Red Crescent said. The Times of Israel also reported that, on Sunday, “at least 25 people were wounded and 23 people arrested” as clashes continued in the Holy City.
Clashes also erupted in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood as protestors clashed with Israeli forces and settlers. It was reported that local Palestinians burnt a car belonging to Jewish residents and launched fireworks aimed at Jewish homes in the vicinity. Israeli police responded by deploying water cannons that sprayed foul smelling water at demonstrators.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas praised the Palestinian protestors for defending the Holy City from aggression. “We commend our great people in Jerusalem and everywhere else for courageously defending Jerusalem, our eternal capital with all of its neighbourhoods,” Abbas said on Facebook. He also “held [Israel] responsible for the dangerous developments and sinful attacks taking place in the Holy City.”
Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, blamed protestors for violence. “We will not allow any extremist element to undermine the quiet in Jerusalem. We will uphold law and order – vigorously and responsibly. We will continue to guard freedom of worship for all faiths but we will not allow violent disturbances,” Netanyahu said. Accordingly, Israeli forces deployed an additional three battalions to the West Bank as reinforcements, in an effort to reduce the growing violence.
The violence in the West Bank also spread to Israel’s southern border with Gaza, as four rockets were fired from the enclave by militants. Militants also launched incendiary balloons into Israel that caused dozens of blazes in the region. In response, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) tanks “struck Hamas terror targets in Gaza.” Netanyahu also warned militants that “Israel will respond powerfully to any act of aggression from the Gaza Strip.”
In light of the escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine, the Middle East Quartet members—the United States (US), the United Nations (UN), the European Union, and Russia – expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing situation in East Jerusalem, especially the confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinians in Al Aqsa. The Quartet also said that it was alarmed by the launching of rockets and the resumption of incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel.
The US State Department also released a statement on Friday saying that the Washington is “extremely concerned about ongoing confrontations in Jerusalem.” Department spokesperson Ned Price called on both sides “to act decisively to deescalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence.” Price also said: “We also urge the authorities to approach the residents of Sheikh Jarrah with compassion and respect, and consider the totality of these complex historical cases and how they impact real lives today.” Netanyahu responded by saying: “We emphatically reject the pressures not to build in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, these pressures have been increasing of late. I say to our best friends as well: Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.”
The violence is a result of the tensions that have been rising in East Jerusalem over the past week regarding a long-standing land dispute in Sheikh Jarrah between Palestinians and Israeli settlers. Palestinians fear the possibility of being removed from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, as they await a decision by Israel’s Supreme Court on the highly contentious issue.
Fierce Clashes Between Israeli Police and Palestinians Continue in Jerusalem
The violence is a result of the tensions that have been rising in East Jerusalem over the past week regarding a long-standing land dispute in Sheikh Jarrah between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
May 10, 2021
SOURCE: REUTERS