Violence has marred celebrations of Easter, Ramadan and Passover by Christians, Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem. Several people were injured in riots on the Temple Mount.
Israeli security forces clashed with protesting Palestinians in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
(dpa) Clashes erupted again on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Sunday. Ahead of planned visits by Jews to the holy site, hundreds of young Muslims erected obstacles with stones and iron bars to block access, Israeli police said. According to media reports, there were clashes between police forces and Palestinians at the facility, and several Muslims were injured.
The Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. But it is also sacred to Jews because there used to be two Jewish temples there. The Jews are currently observing the Passover festival. One of the customs is a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is a few minutes’ walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians celebrated Easter Mass on Sunday mornings.
Palestinians threw stones at buses on their way to Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday morning, police said several passengers were injured. Two suspects were arrested.
The ruling Islamist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday: “The al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line and the (Israeli) occupying power bears responsibility for attacking believers and for allowing settlers to desecrate the facility .»
The Temple Mount is under Muslim administration while Israel is responsible for security. According to an agreement with the Muslim authorities, Jews can visit the facility but not pray there.
Already on Friday there were numerous injuries in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount. The clashes further intensified tensions after a wave of terror in recent weeks
Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories for their own state with East Jerusalem as the capital.