Violent clashes broke out early Friday morning between Palestinians and Israeli police at a Jerusalem holy site on the concurrence of several major religious holidays.
At least 150 people were injured, according to the Red Crescent, as police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of Palestinians, some waving Hamas flags, after a small group gathered stones and other items to throw at Jewish worshippers during a protest at the Temple Mount, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
“The riots this morning on the Temple Mount are unacceptable and go against the spirit of the religions we believe in,” Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Twitter. “The convergence of Passover, Ramadan, and Easter is symbolic of what we have in common. We must not let anyone turn these holy days into a platform for hate, incitement, and violence.”
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Some Palestinians barricaded themselves inside the al Aqsa Mosque before pelting officers with stones, injuring three, the Times of Israel reported.
מהומות בהר הבית: המשטרה משתמשת ברימוני הלם, הפלסטינים מדווחים על פצועים@SuleimanMas1 pic.twitter.com/eGaZebBrt9
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 15, 2022
More than 300 protesters were arrested in relation to the violence, as escalating tensions threaten peace at the holy site, sacred to Jews and Muslims, that has seen unrest between the Israeli and Palestinian people previously.
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The United Nations expressed concerns about the “deteriorating security situation” in Jerusalem, calling on political and religious leaders to help “calm the situation.”
“Allowing tensions to spiral further only risks another escalation,” said Tor Wennesland, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. “I urge authorities on both sides to immediately de-escalate the situation and prevent any further provocations by radical actors.”
