Last Friday Of Ramadan, Clashes Broke Out Again In Al Aqsa: Israeli Police Fired Rubber Bullets, 12 Palestinians Were Injured

JAKARTA - Clashes broke out again between Israeli police and Palestinian residents at the Al Aqsa Mosque Complex, Jerusalem, Friday, the latest violence at a religious site revered by Muslims and Jews.

Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths. At least 12 Palestinians were injured in early morning clashes at Islam's third holiest site, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Israeli police said they intervened when hundreds of people started throwing stones and fireworks, including towards the Western Wall, where Jewish worshipers had gathered.

"We will continue to act decisively against rioters and criminals for the safety and security of the public," police said in a statement.

There have been almost daily confrontations at mosques this month, as Ramadan coincides with the celebration of the Jewish Passover, which brings hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Jews to the heavily fortified compound in the old city.

However, the violence has subsided this week, after the end of Passover and after Israel halted Jewish visits to the large open field that is home to the 7th-century Dome of the Rock and the 8th-century Al-Aqsa mosque.

With Ramadan ending this week, the last Friday is always a concern, as it is International Al Quds Day, the annual rallies held around the world that fall on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan. Its aim is to oppose Israeli control of Jerusalem, expected to attract thousands of Palestinians to the disputed city.

Israeli officials have blamed this month's tensions on Islamist groups, including Hamas, which controls Gaza, saying they have encouraged youths to stage riots aimed at arousing anger in the Muslim world against Israel.

On the other hand, Palestinians accuse Israel of not doing enough to enforce a ban on Jewish prayers in open fields. Israel rejects these accusations.

The Al Aqsa Mosque compound sits atop the plateau of East Jerusalem's Old City, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move that has yet to receive international recognition.