Israel attacks Palestinians at Damascus Gate

By Mustafa Deveci

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli police on Saturday used stun grenades to disperse Palestinians gathered at the Damascus Gate in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem.

A large number of Palestinians have gathered at the Damascus Gate after performing the tarawih prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In the past few days, Palestinians in Jerusalem have protested in solidarity with the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood amid clashes with Israeli police.

At least 205 people were injured in Israeli attacks at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Damascus Gate of the Old City, and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood on Friday, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The protests came as the Israeli Central Court in East Jerusalem approved a decision to evict seven Palestinian families from their homes in favor of Israeli settlers at the beginning of 2021.

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.