The clashes come amid heightened tensions in the eastern sector of Jerusalem and the West Bank, two Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 by Israel. Fourteen Palestinians and three Israeli policemen were injured Friday, May 7, in rare clashes on the Mosques Esplanade in East Jerusalem.
Tensions are very high in the eastern part of the Holy City, and more particularly in the district of Sheikh Jarrah, where demonstrations have been held every evening for the past week to protest against a possible eviction of Palestinian families for the benefit of Israeli settlers.
Allies of Israel, the United States called for ” de-escalation “ tensions and ” to avoid “ the expulsion of Palestinian families. “We are deeply concerned about the rise in tensions in Jerusalem”, a State Department spokeswoman told Washington. She also said to herself “Concerned about the potential evictions of Palestinian families” in neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, “Many of whom have of course lived in their homes for generations”.
On the Esplanade des Mosques, the clashes pitted the Palestinian faithful against the Israeli police officers who guard the access to this third holy place of Islam. Of “Hundreds of rioters threw stones, bottles and other objects in the direction of the officers, who retaliated”Israeli police said. Police spokesman Wassem Badr spoke of “Violent disturbances”.
Fourteen Palestinians were injured, most in the eyes and head, mostly by rubber bullets fired by Israeli police, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Three Israeli policemen were injured, police said.
Dozens of shots were heard from the esplanade, where a crowd of Muslims gathered on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan. Smoke rose above the site in the Old City of Jerusalem. Police added to have “Started to restore order” on site.
Three Palestinians killed near Jenin
The last clashes between Israeli police and worshipers on the Mosque Esplanade date back to August 2019 and left dozens of Palestinians injured on the day of important Jewish and Muslim commemorations. The new violence comes amid heightened tensions in the eastern sector of Jerusalem and in the West Bank.
Earlier today, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians and wounded a third near the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank. Police said they opened fire on border guards without causing Israeli casualties.
In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, around 100 Palestinians took to the streets again, but the police dispersed them with stun grenades, journalists from Agence France-Presse noted. Only a handful of protesters were still there amid a large police presence.
Protest in Jordan
Earlier in the week, a young Israeli died of wounds inflicted by gunfire from a Palestinian in the West Bank and a 16-year-old Palestinian was shot and killed by the IDF according to Palestinian sources.
Palestinian presidency spokesman Nabil Abou Roudeina called on Washington to put pressure on its Israeli ally to make the situation “Does not reach an uncontrollable level”. The UN has urged Israel to end any forced eviction of Palestinians, warning that its actions could constitute “War crimes”.
In Jordan, a country that continues to be guardian of Muslim holy sites in East Jerusalem, a crowd demonstrated in solidarity with Palestinian families, chanting “We will die for Sheikh Jarrah”.
Friday’s events coincided with Al-Quds Day (Arabic name for Jerusalem), celebrated annually in countries in the region and mainly in Iran, Israel’s nemesis, in support of the Palestinians. In Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, advocated the fight against Israel, described as “Terrorist base”. For him, the “Fall of the enemy Zionist regime” is inescapable.