80 Palestinians injured in riots at Israel's Damascus Gate amid turmoil, rocket launched from Gaza
May 09, 2021
Jerusalem [Israel], May 9 : At least 80 Palestinians were hurt in riots at Damascus Gate outside Israel's Old City on Saturday and 14 were hospitalised after protesters hurled bottles and rocks at security forces and the police responded with stun grenades and water cannons, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
On Saturday night, around 90,000 Palestinians attended Laylat al-Qadr prayers at the Temple Mount, marking the Ramadan holiday's holiest night. According to The Times of Israel, worshippers at the compound chanted in support of the Hamas terror group's military wing, which reiterated its threat to attack Israel over recent tensions in Jerusalem.
"Strike Tel Aviv... In spirit and in blood, we will redeem al-Aqsa," the Palestinian worshippers chanted.
Meanwhile, renewed clashes broke out in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, the site of tensions over the pending eviction of several Palestinian families from homes claimed by nationalist Jews.
Two Palestinian suspects were arrested after pepper-spraying Israeli officers, police said.
A rocket was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip overnight on Sunday, amid intense clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in Jerusalem, in wake of a serious flare-up of violence over tensions surrounding the Temple Mount.
Israel Defence Forces said that rocket alert sirens were only triggered in an open field, where the projectile landed. No reports of injuries or damage were found, The Times of Israel reported.
Saturday also saw at least ten fires in southern Israel caused by balloons from Gaza carrying incendiary devices.
The number of Palestinians injured in clashes with the Israeli forces in East Jerusalem has risen over 200, the Red Crescent said on Saturday, reported Sputnik.
The unrest in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem started a week ago over the plans of the Israeli authorities to resettle 28 Palestinian families from the area.
