Jerusalem: Israeli police clashed with dozens of Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City after the latter barricaded themselves in the shrine ahead of the eve of the Jewish Passover holiday.
There were injuries during the clashes late Tuesday night that broke out in the mosque and some other neighbourhoods in the old city, Xinhua news agency reported citing local media.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman of the Palestinian presidency warned against the Israeli violations in the mosque Wednesday, saying that “the Israeli occupation authorities” crossing the red lines in the holy places would lead to a big explosion in the entire region.
Israeli police said in a statement that dozens of young adults armed with sticks, stones, and fireworks barricaded themselves in the mosque earlier in the evening to start a violent disturbance.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the most sacred site, is regarded by Muslims as their third holiest site.
The holy site has been administered by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, a Jordanian body, since 1948.
Under a 1967 agreement between Israel and Jordan, non-Muslim worshippers can visit the compound but are prohibited from praying there.
In April 2022, the mosque compound witnessed violent clashes between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli police forces when Jews visited the holy site.
This latest incident comes amid growing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that have been going on since the beginning of this year.
At least 89 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed since January, while 15 Israelis were killed in a series of attacks in the same period of time, according to official figures.
IANS