Asylum seekers from Eritrea and Israeli police have clashed in Tel Aviv, resulting in scores of injuries, including from live bullets Africa Today News, News York has learnt.
Hundreds of protesters were attacked with stun grenades, tear gas and bullets with sponge tips.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the unrest was sparked after activists opposed to the Eritrean government said they asked Israeli authorities to cancel an embassy event on Saturday.
But there were also clashes between protestors and pro-regime Eritreans.
Evidence is being gathered at the scene as part of an examination into whether using live fire was legal.
This is the most recent instance of violence in recent weeks as a result of the disputes within Eritrea over the leadership of President Isaias Afwerki spreading into the diaspora.
According to Israeli news reports, the demonstrators marched towards a venue where the event was due to take place. They were initially held back by police barricades but later managed to break through them.
Residents said the streets of central Tel Aviv sounded like a war zone as police helicopters buzzed overhead and Israeli officers fired live rounds into the air.
Protesters fought with police, damaged cars and smashed the windows of nearby businesses.
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A statement by Israeli police said that officers used their guns as they felt their lives were in danger. It added that 27 were injured.
Photos from inside the hall that had been hired by Eritrean diplomats for the event showed tables and chairs overturned after angry demonstrators broke in.
Videos shared on social media also showed street battles between Eritreans who support the regime in their home country, and those who oppose it. Israeli police said they tried to separate the two sides.
In a message put out on X, previously known as Twitter, the police asked uninvolved members of the public to stay away from the scene.
Earlier this week, police said at a news conference that different Eritrean factions had agreed to rally in two separate locations this Saturday.