Update: Palestinian killed in clashes with Israeli forces

CAIRO – 28 July 2017: Israeli forces killed Friday a Palestinian during clashes amid heavily deployment of occupation across Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Old City of Jerusalem and along the ‘separation wall’ in the West Bank.

Earlier in the morning, the Israeli occupation forces applied new restrictions on Palestinian worshippers including allowing only men under 50 year old to enter the Mosque and pray. The Israeli occupation forces also installed an iron gate at the entrance of the city of Bethlehem, which resulted in clashes with Palestinians. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported 13 injuries in Bethlehem among Palestinians who refused the installation of the Iron Gate.

The Palestinian Endowment reported that more than 10,000 Palestinians arrived to Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday despite the Israeli restrictions, following calls from the Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs, Yousif Adeis. Adeis said in media statements that the coming days should “prove what the Jerusalemites have accomplished with their determination and popular resistance against unfair Israeli procedures.”

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported more than 100 injuries in clashes with the Israeli forces across the West Bank, Gaza strip border areas and Jerusalem following Friday prayers.

On Thursday afternoon, the Israeli forces reopened all the gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque and compound. Palestinians in the Jerusalem, West Bank and the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories celebrated the victory and considered it an achievement of popular resistant as they protested for 13 days to refuse the Israeli measures that aim to control Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinians raised Palestine flag over the mosque.

Few hours following reopening the Mosque, the Israeli forces attacked the Palestinian worshippers and took down the flag. The Israeli forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition to disperse the Palestinian worshippers. At least 100 Palestinian worshipers were detained from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. 21 of the detainees will be presented in front of Israel’s Jerusalem magistrate court on Friday morning while the remaining 79 were released, according to the Head of the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs Committee, Issa Qaraqe.

On Thursday night, at least 100 Palestinian worshipers were detained from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. 21 of the detainees will be presented in front of Israel’s Jerusalem magistrate court on Friday morning while the remaining 79 were released, according to the Head of the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs Committee, Issa Qaraqe.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its crews had provided at least 94 worshipers with medical care during clashes. According to the group, some worshipers were treated for rubber-coated steel bullet injuries and tear gas inhalation, while others were physically assaulted and pepper sprayed by Israeli forces.

Since July 14, Palestinians were boycotting prayers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in a position to reject and protest new Israeli forces’ security measures that included placing metal detection gates and smart surveillance cameras at the entrances of Al-Aqsa Mosque to detect Palestinian worshippers.