Israeli security forces entered Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Friday as Palestinians gathered for Ramadan prayers, sparking clashes that left scores injured.
Tensions have been running high in a season where Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays coincide. Almost a year ago, Israel fought an 11-day war with Gaza-based militants that was partly set off by clashes with Israeli forces in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month. A recent spate of shootings in Israeli cities has raised the specter of renewed communal violence.
The U.S. Department of State issued a statement saying it was “deeply concerned by the violence.”
“We call on all sides to exercise restraint,” spokesman Ned Price said. He added that the department was “in close contact with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials to seek to deescalate tensions.”
Israel’s foreign ministry said police had to enter the grounds to disperse a crowd and remove stones and rocks, “in order to prevent further violence.” The Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement that 152 people were wounded. Palestinian authorities said police actions were “a desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque” and a “push towards a religious war”.
Palestinians should to go to the mosque “to confront this frantic attack,” the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said in a statement.
Israeli police said they acted after “dozens of masked men” carrying Hamas and Palestinian Authority flags entered the mosque and rioted. “We are determined to act against those who break the law, in order to protect the public’s safety,” the statement said.
Four attacks in Israeli cities, two by Israeli Arabs, have left 14 dead since March. Among the Palestinians, the death toll reached 16 in the first two weeks of April, all from the West Bank. Israel said the Palestinians were killed in clashes, or as they carried out or attempted to carry out attacks. Palestinian authorities said some were innocent bystanders.
Israel held an unprecedented summit last month with four Arab foreign ministers, reinforcing among Palestinians the feeling that their bid for statehood has been sidelined. The Israeli-Palestinians peace process has been stalled for years, and as Arab governments from the United Arab Emirates to Morocco establish formal ties with Israel, Palestinians are growing increasingly frustrated.
