152 Palestinians injured in clashes at Jerusalem holy site
Jerusalem, April 15
Palestinians clashed with the Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem before dawn on Friday as thousands gathered for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Medics said at least 152 Palestinians were wounded.
The holy site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, has often been the epicentre of Israeli-Palestinian unrest, and tensions were already heightened amid a recent wave of violence. Clashes at the site last year helped spark an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The clashes come at a particularly sensitive time. Ramadan this year coincides with Passover, a major weeklong Jewish holiday beginning Friday at sundown, and Christian holy week, which culminates on Easter Sunday. The holidays are expected to bring tens of thousands of faithful into Jerusalem’s Old City, home to major sites sacred to all three religions.
Hours after the clashes began, the police announced that they had put an end to the violence and arrested “hundreds” of suspects. They said the mosque was reopened and that Friday’s midday prayers would take place as usual. Tens of thousands of people were expected. — AP
