More than 20 people were injured and 18 arrested in clashes on the Esplanade of Mosques in Jerusalem, Israel this Sunday (17). The country’s security forces and Palestinian protesters clashed again. Police entered the site, the third holiest for Islam, on the grounds that men were carrying stones to throw at Jews entering the Esplanade.
The Esplanade of Mosques is also considered the holiest site for the Jews, who call the place the Temple Mount. The Jewish population can access the esplanade at certain times, but are forbidden to pray there.
The site in the Old City of East Jerusalem, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, was also the scene of violent clashes on Friday (15) that ended in 152 people injured. The clashes come at a time of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
2 of 2 A man injured on the Esplanade of Mosques this Sunday (17th) is hospitalized Photo: Reuters
A man injured on the Esplanade of Mosques this Sunday (17th) is hospitalized Photo: Reuters
“AlAqsa (the name also given in Arabic to the esplanade of mosques) belongs to us, ours alone, and the Jews have absolutely no right to this place,” Hamas political wing chief Ismail Haniyeh said in an explanation.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also said in a statement that “the security forces have carte blanche to … ensure the safety of Israeli citizens.”
- Two dead, seven injured in Tel Aviv attack
- Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in clashes in the West Bank
Turkey condemns “interference”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the Israeli government for what he called “interference and unacceptable provocation of the faithful” at Jerusalem’s AlAqsa Mosque. The statement increases tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which have been holding talks over the past few weeks to improve ties between the two countries.
“Turkey will always support Palestine,” Erdogan said.
Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces leave more than 150 people at Jerusalem’s holy site
Conflicts between Jews and Palestinians in Israel’s West Bank have intensified in recent weeks. Since January, Israeli police have killed at least 25 people and Palestinian gunmen have killed 14 Israelis in attacks.
The Israeli government claims to be responding to the increase in individual attacks by Palestinians. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett eased restrictions on security forces fighting what he called “a new wave of terrorism.” With this, police officers began to have more repressive powers in what has been dubbed “counterterrorism”.
In the latest, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in operations in the West Bank on Thursday (14). The Israeli army claimed soldiers responded to attacks by dozens of people during “counterterrorism activities.”
This year tensions also increased on the mosque esplanade because the Christian Easter coincided with the Jewish celebrations of Passover and Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.