15 Palestinians injured in Israeli police assaults amid tension in Jerusalem

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) - At least 15 Palestinians were injured in attacks by Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Sunday amid tension over a planned flag march by settlers in the occupied city, according to medics.

In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said four Palestinians were rushed to hospital for treatment while 11 others were treated by its medics on the spot.

It said Israeli police used batons and fired rubber-coated bullets and tear gas canisters against Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Tension has been running high across the occupied Palestinian territories over a planned flag march by Israeli settlers to mark what they call the day of unifying Jerusalem, in reference to Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967.

On Sunday, at least 1,687 settlers forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, according to Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department, which oversees holy sites in Jerusalem.

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 Ahmed Asmar in Ankara