Several Palestinians were hurt after Israeli police opened fire and used tear gas against them while they were participating in a protest on Gaza Strip’s eastern border with Israel, reported Al Jazeera.
The protest occurred following a so-called “flag march” by far-right Israelis on Thursday in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem.
As per reports, three Palestinians were assaulted by settlers taking part in the provocative flag-waving march through the Old City of Jerusalem, a provocative annual event celebrating Israel’s illegal annexation of occupied East Jerusalem.
Since early morning on Thursday, thousands of Israeli forces were deployed in and around occupied Jerusalem and its old city to secure the annual provocative flag march, according to WAFA news agency reported.
Police were deployed at major intersections in the city, and roadblocks were set up on the main roads disrupting normal life for the city’s Palestinian population.
Old City shops were ordered to remain shuttered for the day to allow free and easy access for the settlers to the Old City during the march and to avoid any friction between the Palestinians and the settlers as the march is expected to go through Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter in the Old City before reaching the Western Wall plaza.
Extremist and right-wing cabinet ministers and members of parliament from the government coalition, led by the fascist Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, are participating in the march. Other politicians participating include Minister of Transport Miri Regev, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and a number of Knesset members.
The “Temple” organizations and settlement groups had called for the largest number of settlers to storm the Muslim holy compound, Al-Aqsa Mosque, this morning, ahead of the provocative flag march.
During the provocative flag-waving march, the Israeli police clamped down on a group of Israeli and international peace activists as they demonstrated outside the walled Old City of Jerusalem against the Israeli nationalist march.
Multiple groups of settlers, led by extremist officials, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque this morning under heavy police protection.
Meanwhile, and in defiance of the provocative flags march, Palestinians have called for hoisting the Palestinian flag everywhere in Jerusalem and the occupied territories and to hold flags rallies in the West Bank cities in the afternoon.
