Scattered fights at Al-aqsa mosque

GAZA CITY/ NEW YORK: Scattered clashes took place between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem hours after a ceasefire in Gaza went into effect.

Palestinians hurled stones and Israeli police fired stun grenades and tear gas shortly after the Friday prayers. Clashes at the holy site, which is revered by Jews and Muslims, were one of the main triggers for the just concluded 11-day conflict.

Immediately after the Friday prayers, hundreds of Palestinians held a celebratory demonstration at Al-aqsa in which they waved Palestinian flags and banners of the Hamas militant group ruling Gaza. It was unclear what set off the clashes.

Meanwhile in New York City, clashes took between pro-israel and pro-palestinian protesters at Times Square on Thursday.

The clashes came hours after the peace deal had been announced, Fox News reported. A video shows a low-key explosion after something that looked a device was thrown at a crowd of people on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk.

New York police told Fox News that two commercial fireworks were thrown from a car and one person suffered burns.

Police are probing the incident.

Other videos posted by independent journalist Leeroy Johnson show multiple fights breaking out in the middle of Times Square with police trying to bring them under control. A police spokesperson later confirmed that multiple arrests were made following the protests and fights. Pro-palestinian protesters have marched in America’s biggest cities over the last week and a half.