No fewer than 170 Palestinians have been injured after Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and dispersed worshippers elsewhere in occupied East Jerusalem, as weeks-long tensions between Israel and the Palestinians over Jerusalem soared again.
According to reports, earlier in the day, tens of thousands of Palestinian worshippers packed into the mosque on the final Friday of Ramadan and many stayed on to protest in support of Palestinians facing eviction from their homes on Israeli-occupied land claimed by Jewish settlers.
During the past week, residents of Sheikh Jarrah, as well as Palestinian and international solidarity activists, have attended nightly vigils to support the Palestinian families under threat of forced displacement.
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Israeli border police and forces have attacked the sit-ins using skunk water, tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, and shock grenades over the past few days. Dozens of Palestinians have been arrested.
The US State Department said it is “extremely concerned” about the violence in Jerusalem and called on Israeli and Palestinian officials ‘to act decisively‘ to deescalate tensions.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK