A fresh bout of clashes broke out near the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Friday, AFP reported, saying that the police entered the compound, and that the demonstrators were throwing stones at officers.
These mass protests come as part of a general flare-up in tensions: Israel has recently experienced a string of deadly attacks, which resulted in massive police operations on the West Bank.
Palestinian protesters hurl rocks at Israeli security amid clashes during a demonstration against Jewish settlements and in support of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, on the main street of Beita village in the occupied West Bank, on April 15, 2022.
© JAAFAR ASHTIYEH
As a result, the Palestinians, enraged by the raids, held mass protests, and the Gaza Strip reportedly blasted Israel with rocket strikes.
The clashes over the status of Temple Mount have been going on for a long time, since the site is considered holy both in Judaism and Islam. Palestinians have repeatedly accused Israel of hindering their access to the Al-Aqsa mosque and allowing large numbers of Jewish visitors to the site under police escort, claiming it is a violation of the present agreements between the two sides.