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Israeli police and Palestinians clashed again Friday morning at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a holy site important to both Jews and Muslims.
The skirmish left more than two dozen Palestinians injured, two seriously, after some Palestinian youths at the site started throwing rocks at police and setting off fireworks around 4 a.m., according to Israel’s Haaretz. The police responded – in full riot gear – by storming the site and using rubber bullets and stun grenades.
ISRAEL FIRES BACK AT HAMAS TARGETS AFTER SECOND ROCKET STRIKE THIS WEEK AMID TENSION
The Palestinian Red Crescent medical service said at least 31 Palestinians were wounded, including 14 who were taken to hospitals.
Police said that a policewoman was hit in the face by a rock and taken for medical treatment.
Israeli police deploy in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, April 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Journalists, who were shown in video footage identifying themselves as members of the press, were also fired at and at least three Palestinian reporters were wounded by the rubber bullets.
Israel police said the Palestinians, some carrying Hamas flags, had been stockpiling the stones before dawn and that they had waited until after early morning prayers had ended to enter the compound in Jerusalem's Old City.
Older Palestinians, who urged the dozens of youths to cease their rock and firework-throwing, were ignored.
The violence subsided later in the morning after another group of dozens of Palestinians said they wanted to clean the area ahead of the main weekly prayers midday.
Following the prayers, a small group of Palestinians waving Hamas flags marched and attempted to break into an empty police post inside the compound.
Israeli police enter the Al Aqsa Mosque compound where they clashed with Palestinian protesters following early morning prayers in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, April 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
However, police used a drone to drop tear gas on them.
Israel blames the violence on incitement by Hamas, and says its security forces are acting to remove rock-throwers in order to ensure freedom of worship for Jews and Muslims.
Israeli police and Palestinians have frequently clashed there in the last week despite temporarily keeping Jews away for the last 10 days of Ramadan to avoid any provocation, which is a normal practice.
The incident came just hours after Israel targeted several Hamas sites Thursday morning following a rocket attack intercepted by Israel’s air defenses. Another rocket strike was launched toward Israel on Monday.
A Palestinian protester takes cover behind a makeshift shield during clashes with Israeli police at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, April 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Nearly a year after the Israel-Palestinian 11-day war, tensions have heightened following a series of deadly attacks in Israel - including a shooting in Tel Aviv earlier this month in which a Palestinian opened fire at a bar, leaving three Israelis dead - and military operations in the occupied West Bank.
Al-Aqsa, known as the Temple Mount to Jews, has been connected to previous violent conflicts.
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A longstanding prohibition on Jews praying at the site has eroded in recent years, fueling fears among Palestinians that Israel plans to take over the site or partition it. However, Israel says it’s committed to the status quo and has blamed Hamas for inciting violence.
Tens of thousands of Muslims are expected to pray at the site later Friday for weekly prayers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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