Palestine: Israeli settlers assault Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem
By Said Amouri
JERUSALEM (AA): Hundreds of Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinians in different areas across occupied Jerusalem on Thursday night and Friday at dawn, even as Israeli forces also clashed with Palestinians, leaving at least 105 injured.
The Israeli police announced in a statement on Friday that it had detained more than 50 Palestinians across Jerusalem through the night, accusing them of “violence.”
Violent clashes broke out between extremist Israeli settlers and Palestinians after some 300 extremist Jewish settlers marched towards Damascus Gate outside the Old City of Jerusalem, shouting “Death to the Arabs” and “Arabs get out” late on Thursday.
The clashes spread to other parts of the occupied city of Jerusalem, including the Sheikh Jarrah, Musrara, the French Hill colonial settlement, al-Tur and Wadi al-Joz, and lasted until the early morning hours of Friday, reported Wafa news agency.
In Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, dozens of Israeli settlers threw stones at the homes of Palestinians, who in turn sought to push them back.
Eyewitnesses reported that the settlers damaged dozens of Palestinian cars on the neighborhood’s El-Moutran street.
Another group of settlers attacked Palestinians’ properties in the French Hill neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem.
For its part, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that at least 105 Palestinians were injured on Thursday night as Israeli forces opened fire at them. The injured were treated at Jerusalem’s Makassed hospital.
Further clashes with Israeli forces and settlers erupted in other areas of Jerusalem including the neighborhoods of Sawwanah, At-Tur and Wadi al-Joz.
Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that hundreds of settlers from the extremist Jewish Lehava group tried to reach Jerusalem Old City’s Damascus Gate while chanting “death to Arabs.”
Haaretz said Israeli police prevented them from reaching the area where thousands of Palestinians were present.
Right-wing groups allege that such attacks are in response to attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem against Israelis.
A group of settlers appear in a video that went viral on social media as they attack Palestinian homes amid cries and shouts by Palestinian women and children.
Since the start of the month of Ramadan, Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque area in particular have witnessed clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli forces who are trying to ban Palestinians from performing festive activities during the Muslim holy month.
[Photo: Israeli officer confronts Palestinian Muslim outside Damascus Gate after performing Tarawih prayer in Al-Aqsa Compound at Old Town district in Eastern Jerusalem on April 24, 2021. Photographer: Mostafa Alkharouf/AA]
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