Israeli police have raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, with medics saying at least 67 Palestinians have been injured in violence that followed before dawn on Friday.
The Islamic endowment that runs the site said Israeli police entered in force before dawn, as thousands of worshippers were gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers.
Videos circulating online showed Palestinians throwing rocks and police firing tear gas and stun grenades. Others showed worshippers barricading themselves inside the mosque amid what appeared to be clouds of tear gas.
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it evacuated at least 67 wounded people to hospitals. The endowment said one of the guards at the site was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israeli forces hindered the arrival of ambulances and paramedics from reaching the mosque, as Palestinian media said that dozens of injured worshippers remained trapped inside the compound.
Israeli police said they entered the compound, the third holiest site in Islam and revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, to break up a “violent” crowd that remained at the end of the morning prayers. – Aljazeera