Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Jerusalem: Violent clashes at Al-Aqsa mosque
A case threatening the eviction of Palestinians in Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood has triggered further tensions with Israel.
More than 50 people were wounded on Friday in clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
Palestinian medics and Israeli police said that at least 23 people were hospitalized.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said many were hit in the face and in the eyes by rubber-coated bullets and shrapnel from stun grenades.
Al-Aqsa is Islam's third-holiest site. It is also a major holy site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.
How did violence unfold at Al-Aqsa?
Tensions flared when Israeli police deployed heavily at the compound as Muslims were performing evening prayers at the mosque during Ramadan.
Video footage shows worshippers throwing chairs, shoes and rocks toward the police who then responded by opening fire, the Associated Press reported, citing video footage of the scene.
Israeli police also closed the gates leading to Al-Aqsa inside Jerusalem's walled Old City.
The Al-Aqsa mosque clashes marked the latest in a deadly day that saw Israeli authorities shoot and kill two Palestinians after three men opened fire on an Israeli police base in the occupied West Bank.
What happened earlier
Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces said they arrested 15 Palestinians after clashes in annexed East Jerusalem.
Tensions have heightened in recent days in Jerusalem as a legal battle with Israeli settlers put dozens of Palestinians at risk of eviction.
Police said Palestinian protesters were setting off fireworks and throwing stones at officers and vehicles early on Friday in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Palestinian media reported that Israeli settlers and police had attacked a Palestinian vigil in Sheikh Jarrah early on Friday.
What are the land right cases?
Located in the Arab eastern part of Jerusalem, the neighborhood has been the center of property disputes for decades.
Both Israeli settlers and Palestinians claim ownership in Sheikh Jarrah.
A Supreme Court decision in a property case involving four Palestinian families is expected next week.
Supporters of the families have been gathering in the neighborhood for days to break their Ramadan fast with their communal outdoor sunset iftar meal.
In recent years, forced evictions of Palestinian homes have repeatedly led to protests.
Violence escalates
Clashes in Jerusalem in the past weeks have prompted violence elsewhere.
Israeli forces said they shot and killed two Palestinian gunmen after the men opened fire on a border police base in the occupied West Bank.
"Three terrorists fired towards the Salem border police base," an Israeli statement said. The third attacker was in a "critical condition" after he was also shot.
Earlier this week, Israeli forces killed a 16-year-old Palestinian during a confrontation near the West Bank city of Nablus.
On Thursday, a Palestinian was arrested over a drive-by shooting in the West Bank that killed an Israeli and wounded two others.
US warns against evictions
Washington appealed for deescalation in Jerusalem and warned against carrying out eviction threats.
"We're deeply concerned about the heightened tensions in Jerusalem," said deputy State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter.
Porter said it was "critical" to "de-escalate tensions" and avoid any measures that could increase tensions, such as "evictions, settlement activity and demolition."
She said some Palestinian families targeted for eviction have "lived in their home for generations."
UN warns of possible 'war crimes'
The United Nations urged Israel on Friday to call off forced evictions in East Jerusalem, warning that its actions could amount to "war crimes," AFP news agency cited a spokesman as saying.
"We wish to emphasize that East Jerusalem remains part of the occupied Palestinian territory, in which international humanitarian law applies," UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.
Israel also received criticism over a decision to build 540 settlement units in the West Bank. Germany, the UK, France, Spain and Italy called on Israel to stop the construction of illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.