Dozens of Muslim worshipers suffered injuries as the Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday night turned into an arena of fierce confrontations with the Israeli occupation police.
With no regard for the sanctity of the Islamic holy site or the sacred final days of the holy month of Ramadan a large number of police forces stormed the Mosque’s courtyards and its premises and embarked on savagely attacking Palestinian citizens using rubber bullets and stun and tear gas grenades.
According to the Red Crescent at least 205 Palestinians were hurt in the police aggression which continued for several hours.
Many of the wounded citizens around 88 were hospitalized and the Red Crescent also said it had established a field hospital in Jerusalem to deal with minor and moderate injuries to reduce the pressure on hospitals.
A large number of the victims suffered injuries in their eyes and faces because of the intensity of stun grenades and rubber bullets that were used by police forces inside the Mosque.
During their attack on the holy site police officers stormed the rooftop of the grey-domed Qibli prayer building in the Mosque compound and cut off electricity wires plunging the building into darkness.
Police forces also barged into the Qibli prayer building fired stun grenades at Muslim worshipers inside it and then closed its doors with chains.
Other similar police attacks on Muslim worshipers also happened in other buildings of the Aqsa Mosque including the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall the Dome of the Rock and the infirmary.
A number of journalists and paramedics reportedly suffered injuries after being assaulted or attacked by police forces during the events.
Meanwhile violent clashes broke out with police forces in different areas of Jerusalem including the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah and the areas of Bab al-Amud and Bab Hitta in the Old City.
Earlier police forces allowed some extremist Jewish settlers to enter Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood while denying Palestinian citizens entry to the area to participate in the sit-in staged there to protest an Israeli plan to displace local residents from their homes.
Several settlers some armed provocatively performed Talmudic prayers in front of local residents and solidarity activists in the neighborhood as they started to eat fast-breaking meals following the sunset call to prayer.
On Thursday night the Israeli police arrested 15 Palestinians in a violent raid on Sheikh Jarrah whose residents are facing an Israeli plan to take over their homes and give them to Jewish settlers.
Tensions between Israel the occupying power in the holy city and the Palestinians in Jerusalem especially over the Aqsa Mosque and Sheikh Jarrah soared again in recent weeks.
