The clashes on Monday between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem resulted in "hundreds of injuries" following a weekend marked by violent confrontations. With increasing international calls for de-escalation, Tunisia announced that the UN Security Council would hold a closed session on Monday at its request.
The clashes reignited on Monday as hundreds of Palestinian worshippers, who are in spiritual retreat at the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan, attempted to prevent settlers from entering, coinciding with Israel's observance of "Jerusalem Day," marking the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967. Hundreds of Palestinians threw projectiles and stones at police forces, who responded by firing rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas in an attempt to disperse them.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated in a brief announcement that there are "hundreds of injuries," with "around 50 of them transferred to hospitals in Jerusalem and the Red Crescent field hospital." A reporter from France Press observed ambulances stationed outside the mosque gates, which is considered the third holiest site in Islam, tending to dozens of injured.
Israeli police, who claimed to have deployed thousands of officers throughout Jerusalem, stated they prevented settlers from entering the courtyards as they began gathering near the Al-Buraq Wall. They announced, "Visits to the Al-Aqsa compound have been prohibited... The Israeli police will continue to guarantee freedom of worship but will not tolerate acts of rioting."
Jews are permitted to visit the site during specific times but are prohibited from praying there to avoid escalating tensions. The mosque has periodically experienced tensions between worshippers and Israeli police due to Palestinians' refusal to allow Jews to enter, viewing this step as a provocation to their emotions. Last week, the mosque's courtyards witnessed violent clashes, resulting in over 200 injuries, reportedly sparked, according to Israeli police, by Palestinian youths throwing stones and empty bottles at their personnel.
The Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall (Al-Buraq Wall for Muslims), located south of the Al-Aqsa courtyard, is the last remnant of the Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and holds the status of the holiest site for Jews.
Israel considers the entirety of Jerusalem, including its eastern part, as its "unified" capital, while Palestinians insist on making East Jerusalem the capital of the state they aspire to establish. The international community has not recognized Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem.
In Sheikh Jarrah, Gaza, on Sunday, the Israeli Supreme Court postponed a session scheduled for Monday regarding the eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood to a later date to be set within thirty days. The court stated, "In light of the current context and based on the Attorney General's request, tomorrow's session has been canceled."
The central court in Jerusalem had ruled for the eviction of several Palestinian properties in the neighborhood established by Jordan to house Palestinians displaced in 1948, with lease contracts proving their rights. However, the court's decision on Sunday means "freezing" the eviction order until a new session is scheduled. This issue has become one of the main causes of tension in East Jerusalem in recent weeks.
On Sunday night, limited clashes occurred between Israeli police and mostly youth Palestinians in various locations in East Jerusalem. Police fired stun grenades and water cannons to disperse Palestinians gathered at the Damascus Gate in the Old City and clashed with youths in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, with skirmishes reported in other areas.
The Israeli army announced that four rockets were launched from Gaza towards southern Israel on Sunday, along with incendiary balloons, leading to 39 fires in Israeli territories, according to the firefighting service. On Monday morning, the Israeli army stated, "We struck terrorist targets belonging to Hamas in Gaza in response to the incendiary balloons and four rockets launched from Gaza at Israel yesterday," without providing further details.
On Sunday night, hundreds of protesters gathered at the border between Gaza and Israel, some equipped with incendiary devices, according to a France Press reporter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with security officials, according to one of them, that "Israel is acting responsibly to enforce respect for law and order in Jerusalem while ensuring freedom of worship."
### Calls for Calm
The six Arab countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel condemned the oppressive measures taken by the Israeli state over the weekend in the Al-Aqsa courtyards. Besides Egypt and Jordan's condemnation of the Israeli crackdown, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, which have normalized relations with Israel in recent months, expressed "deep concern" and urged Israel to de-escalate.
In Jordan, which oversees Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, King Abdullah II condemned "the Israeli violations and escalating practices at the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque." Both Egypt's and Jordan's foreign ministries summoned Israel's representatives in their respective countries to protest the violence at the holy site.
The Middle East Quartet and Pope Francis also called for calm.
