Number Of Palestinians Injured In Temple Mount Clashes Rises To 61 - Red Crescent

GAZA/TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2019) The number of Palestinians injured during clashes on the Temple Mount holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem between Muslim worshipers and Israeli police officers has risen to 61, Palestine Red Crescent spokeswoman Erab Fuqaha told Sputnik on Sunday.

The clashes erupted earlier in the day due to religious tensions over the junction of Muslim and Jewish holy days. This Sunday, Muslims start celebrating Eid al-Adha, also known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," an Islamic holiday marking the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Also on this day, Jews mourn the destruction of the temples that once stood on the Temple Mount.

"Sixty-one Palestinians received various injuries during clashes in the area of the Al-Aqsa mosque, 15 of them were taken to hospital," Fuqaha said.

The protests in the area calmed a little but then resumed after police lifted the ban on visiting the Temple Mount for Jews. Some of the Jews advocate restoring the Jewish presence on the Temple Mount.

Al Aqsa mosque, which is situated close to both Christian and Jewish holy sites, has been the flashpoint in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The mosque is part of the Temple Mount area, which has repeatedly seen confrontations in recent years between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli servicemen, resulting in injuries and casualties.