JERUSALEM: Hundreds of Israeli right-wing Jewish nationalists stormed the Masjid al-Aqsa ahead of the flag march. The Israeli army fired rubber bullets at the protesting Palestinians. 10 people were arrested.
The group, led by Itamar Ben Gavir, a staunch Jewish nationalist leader in the Israeli parliament, entered the mosque compound on Sunday morning. Al Jazeera correspondent Najwan Shimri said the Israeli army had forcibly evacuated Muslims from al-Qibli Hall to make way for them. She added that the Israeli army had detained Palestinian journalists who had come to cover the incident.
Wafa News reports that the Israeli army fired rubber bullets at the protesting Palestinians and arrested 10 people. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said an ambulance trying to care for the wounded had been stopped by Jewish nationalists.
Meanwhile, some Jews reportedly entered the al-Aqsa compound and tried to pray. According to Israeli law, Jews are not allowed to pray in the Al-Aqsa compound. The Jewish rabbi in Israel also forbade this. But hardline nationalist Jews often seek to pray in al-Aqsa to provoke the Palestinians.
