Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Israeli police clashed with Palestinians for a second night in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday amid growing tensions over a ban on rallies and anger fueled by videos posted of attacks.
The new violence came after clashes Thursday, in which the Palestinian Red Crescent reported at least 105 wounded, about 20 of whom were transferred to hospital, while Israeli police said 20 officers were injured.
Police on Thursday blocked access to some areas where Palestinians usually gather in large numbers during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, sparking confrontations outside one of the entrances to the walled Old City.
Tensions were fueled by the arrival of the far-right Jewish groups at the end of a march during which they harassed Palestinians and sang “Death to the Arabs.”
After calm on Friday during daylight, skirmishes broke out again when thousands of Muslim worshipers took to the Al-Aqsa mosque after evening prayers, when they were confronted by dozens of armed police, including on horseback.
Clashes broke out between worshipers and police, with water bottles being hurled at officers who fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
Hundreds of Palestinians also gathered at the Qalandiya crossing between Jerusalem and the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Friday, police said.
In Bethlehem, also in the West Bank, Palestinians throw stones and petrol bombs at the tomb of the biblical matriarch Rachel, a shrine honoured by Jews and Muslims, they added.