On April 15, Palestinians clashed with Israeli riot police at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The chaos erupted just before dawn as thousands gathered for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.
At least 152 Palestinians suffered injuries from stun grenades, rubber bullets, and baton beatings by the Israeli riot police. Israeli police said three officers sustained injuries in the clash.
Tensions were already heightened as the region has seen a wave of violence in recent weeks. Twenty-nine Palestinians and fourteen Israelis have been killed in recent conflicts.
The site is sacred to Muslims and Jews and has often been the center of violent clashes. The mosque compound sits at the top of the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem. This place is known as al-Haram al-Sharif by Muslims, the Temple Mount by Jews, and The Noble Sanctuary since Israel captured it in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israeli authorities said they had negotiated with Muslim leaders to ensure calm and allow the prayers to take place on April 15, but some Palestinians reportedly hurled stones at police, sparking the violence.
Videos circulating online show Palestinians throwing rocks and fireworks as police fire tear gas and stun grenades at the sprawling crowds surrounding the mosque. Other videos show worshippers barricading themselves inside the mosque.
In a statement, Israeli police said hundreds of Palestinians hurled firecrackers and stones at their forces and a nearby Jewish prayer area. A statement says police entered the Al-Aqsa compound to “disperse and push back [the crowd and] enable the rest of the worshippers to leave the place safely.”
Israeli security forces rarely enter the building, but when they do, Palestinians see it as a major escalation.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took to Twitter amid the clash to say police were working to calm the violence.
“We are working to restore calm on the Temple Mount and across Israel,” Bennett said. “Alongside that, we are also preparing for any scenario, and the security forces are ready for any task.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it “holds Israel fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences.”
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the international community should intervene immediately to “stop Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa mosque and prevent things from going out of control.”
In a statement, Ned Price, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said both sides need to work to ease tensions.
“We call on all sides to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount,” said Price.
The conflict occurred at a very delicate period. This year, Ramadan fell on the same week as Passover, a significant week-long Jewish festival that begins at nightfall on Friday and ends on Easter Sunday.
Tens of thousands of believers flocked to Jerusalem’s Old City, home to key religious sites revered by Muslims, Jews, and Christians.