178 injured in Israeli attacks across East Jerusalem

By Gulsen Topcu

JERUSALEM (AA) - The number of injured rose to 178 in Israeli attacks at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Damascus gate of the Old City and Sheikh Jarrah district in East Jerusalem on late Friday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement.

Among the injured people, 88 were taken to hospitals in Jerusalem, while others were outpatient, the statement said.

Most of the injuries were caused by rubber bullets fired by Israeli police, it added.

Palestine Red Crescent established a field hospital in the region due to hospital occupancy, it added.

Israeli police attempted to disperse worshippers inside the Haram al-Sharif area of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, using stun grenades and gas bombs.

The police attacked Muslim worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque while worshippers were performing tarawih -- special night prayers -- during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara.