Clashes Between Israel and Palestine in Jerusalem... Over 200 Injured

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Over 200 people were injured on the 7th (local time) in clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in Jerusalem, a holy city for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

According to major foreign and local media on the 8th, thousands of Palestinian residents clashed with Israeli police in Jerusalem on the evening of the last Friday of Ramadan (Islamic fasting month).

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that at least 205 Palestinians and 17 Israeli police officers were injured in clashes that took place throughout Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

About 70,000 Palestinians attended prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan. Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site after Mecca and Medina.

At a temporary hospital set up by the Red Crescent at the scene, 88 Palestinians injured by rubber bullets and stun grenade fragments to the face and other areas were admitted.

After the prayers, thousands of Palestinians waved flags of Hamas, the armed faction in the Gaza Strip, and shouted slogans. Protesters threw stones, furniture, and shoes at the police. Israeli police, which designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades.

Local media analyzed that the clashes occurred amid rising tensions in Jerusalem due to conflicts surrounding settlements in East Jerusalem.

Earlier, Israeli authorities threatened to evict dozens of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah area in East Jerusalem, sparking backlash from Palestinian residents. Jewish groups have been engaged in legal disputes with Palestinians over property acquisition in Sheikh Jarrah.

Additionally, Israeli authorities closed Damascus Gate Square in East Jerusalem, where many people gather during Ramadan. When Palestinians staged violent protests, including setting vehicles on fire, extremist Jewish youth groups also held counter-protests.

Armed groups in the Gaza Strip fired about 40 rockets targeting southern Israel, and Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza and a blockade of fishing zones.

Near Jenin by the Jordan River, Israeli border guards shot three armed Palestinians on the 7th, killing two and injuring one.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, following the so-called Third Middle East War in 1967. However, the United Nations and the international community designate Jerusalem, a holy city for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, as an international city not belonging to either side.

Turkey and Iran strongly condemned Israel’s harsh crackdown on Palestinian protests. On the 8th, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, "We strongly condemn the attack by Israeli security forces that injured many Palestinian civilians at Al-Aqsa Mosque (Islamic shrine)."

Iran labeled the incident a "war crime." Said Hatibzadeh, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "Iran condemns the Israeli occupation forces’ attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque," adding, "This war crime once again proves to the world the criminal nature of the illegal Zionist regime."