Palestine-Israel clashes once again at the al-Aqsa mosque

For hours on Friday morning, Palestinians and Israeli soldiers clashed in and around the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, before an uneasy calm returned later in the day.

From before morning, videos published on social media showed major turmoil and violence near the mosque’s gate, with Palestinians throwing stones and firecrackers and Israeli security forces firing stun grenades and tear gas.

More than 150 individuals had been rushed to hospital by mid-morning, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, with injuries from rubber bullets and stun grenades, as well as wounds from police beatings.

Rami Khatib, a cameraman, was among those injured, with a shattered hand. He is seen on video being stomped and abused by cops.

Earlier, police published surveillance video showing masked individuals smashing stones and collecting them in black buckets overnight, presumably in preparation for fights.

Several officers were brought to hospitals after being injured by rocks, according to police.

As shown by multiple social media footage, Israeli police entered the mosque approximately 9:30 a.m. after initial clashes on the premises and at the mosque’s entrances.

Hundreds of police officers stood over worshipers who were seen lying on the ground, apparently detained.

In other videos, significant smoke can be seen within the mosque, as well as the sound of firecrackers and stun grenades.

Israeli police stated they arrested more than 300 people inside the mosque, but they insisted they were only there because those throwing rocks were endangering worshipers’ safety.

Police briefly barred people from entering the Old City through the Damascus Gate, one of the primary gateways for Muslims on their route to the al-Aqsa mosque.

Hamas has accused Israel of a series of provocations in Jerusalem, most recently urging Palestinians to defend the mosque after an extremist Jewish group called for an animal sacrifice on the Temple Mount to commemorate the start of Passover, which begins on Friday.