For the second night in a row, Israeli police officers and Palestinians clash on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Officials tried to get them out of the al-Aqsa mosque late on Wednesday, eyewitnesses reported. They used stun grenades and rubber bullets. Jordanian officials accused the security forces of entering before the end of the prayers. A statement from the police said dozens of young people had tried to entrench themselves in the mosque with stones and firecrackers. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported six wounded.
Similar incidents had occurred at the same location less than 24 hours earlier. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said extremists had entrenched themselves with weapons, stones and firecrackers. His country remains committed to religious freedom, as well as the Temple Mount Accords. “We will not allow violent extremists to change that,” Netanyahu said.
According to the Israeli police, they felt compelled to act on the first night because “masked agitators” were holed up on the premises. More than 350 people were arrested and taken away. According to rescue workers, dozens of people were injured, including Israeli security forces. The Red Crescent accused the Israelis of preventing paramedics from reaching the mosque.
After the police action, radical Palestinians fired rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel. According to its own statements, its air force bombed targets of the Islamist group Hamas, where weapons are produced.
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is a holy site for both Muslims and Jews. Tensions have increased there in recent years. This year, to make matters worse, the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, coincides with the Jewish festival of Passover and Christian Easter, which means that more people from all religious groups are visiting the site.
The latest escalation took place against the background that Israeli security forces pushed into the West Bank. More than 250 Palestinians have been killed and thousands arrested in recent months. More than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.