152 Palestinians Injured In Clashes With Israeli Police At Al-Aqsa Mosque, Majority Due To Rubber Bullets

Israel Illustrated by Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem. (Wikimedia Commons / Israel Police Spokeswoman)

JAKARTA - At least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli riot police inside Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday, marking a new chapter of escalation in violence that has raised fears of a return to last year's clashes.

Most Palestinian injuries were caused by rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, said the Palestinian Red Crescent, in the most sensitive location in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli security forces have been on high alert after a series of deadly street attacks across the country over the past two weeks. The confrontation at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City poses the risk of a larger, wider clash like last year's Gaza war.

The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the plateau of East Jerusalem's Old City, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Holy Places, and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

In a statement, Israeli police said hundreds of Palestinians threw firecrackers and stones at their troops, heading for the Jewish prayer area at the Western Wall in the Old City after the Fajr prayer of Ramadan.

It said police then entered the Al-Aqsa compound to "disperse and push back (the crowd and) allow other worshipers to leave the place safely", adding that three officers were injured in the clashes.

Police detained hundreds of Palestinians, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a tweet.

"We are working to restore calm, on the Temple Mount and across Israel. In addition, we are preparing for any scenario and security forces are ready for any task," Bennett said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, referring to the violence at the holy compound, said it "holds Israel fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences".

Separately, the international community must immediately intervene to "stop the Israeli aggression against the Al-Aqsa mosque and prevent things from getting out of control," said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who governs areas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. .

Jordan, whose Hashemite monarchy is custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem, condemned the Israeli police attack on the compound as a "flagrant violation".

Israel recognizes the Hashemite's role as guardians of Al-Aqsa as part of the 1994 peace agreement between the two countries, and maintains overall security control over the site.

Tor Wennesland, the UN special envoy for Middle East peace, urged all parties "to help calm the situation, avoid spreading inflammatory rhetoric and speak out against those who seek to escalate the situation".

It is known, increasing tensions this year allegedly due to the celebration of the Jewish Passover which coincides with Ramadan.

Last year there were night clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police during the fasting month. Threats to evacuate Palestinians in East Jerusalem and police raids in Al-Aqsa, also sparked the 11-day Israel-Gaza war that killed more than 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 in Israel.

Since last month, Israeli forces have killed 29 Palestinians while carrying out attacks in the West Bank after Palestinian assailants killed 14 Israelis in a series of attacks on Israeli cities.

Meanwhile, Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and is also revered by Jews as the location of two ancient temples.