On Thursday night, Israeli security forces and Palestinians clashed again on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Groups of young Palestinians threw firecrackers and stones at police officers and tried to barricade themselves in the al-Aqsa mosque late Wednesday evening, Israeli media reported, citing the police. They would have prevented believers from leaving the mosque. The police cleared the way for the believers to leave the mosque and drove the Palestinians out of the complex.
On Wednesday night, Israeli security forces clashed with dozens of Palestinians on the grounds of the Temple Mount. According to the police, around 350 people were arrested. They barricaded themselves in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, set off firecrackers and threw stones. Police reportedly used tear gas, batons and flashbangs to evacuate the mosque.
According to the Red Crescent Ambulance Service, around 40 Palestinians were injured by police beatings and rubber bullets. In response, radical Palestinians from the Gaza Strip fired at least ten rockets into Israeli territory during the night. In the early morning, Israel then attacked several targets in the coastal strip.
Violent confrontations have repeatedly occurred in the area around the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in recent years. In 2021, the situation escalated into an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Temple Mount 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.
Before the start of the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, there were fears that the already tense security situation in the country would deteriorate. A particularly large number of Muslims are currently coming to the Temple Mount to pray there during the month of fasting. The week-long Jewish Passover festival also began on Wednesday. One of the customs is a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
