On Friday night heavy clashes took place between Palestinians and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and elsewhere in Jerusalem, where over 200 people were wounded. This is the start of the holy month of Ramadan and the Palestinians had been protesting police restrictions at popular gathering places while tensions grew over the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinians from their homes in east Jerusalem, which is claimed by both sides in the decades-old conflict.The United States and the European Union issued pro forma statements calling for restraint on all sides.
The day before, Israeli troops shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian near the West Bank city of Nablus. The military said several Palestinians had thrown firebombs toward soldiers. The Israeli police have reacted with a heavy hand using rubber coated bullets, which can be very lethal.
Things could get worse since Sunday night is “Laylat al-Qadr” or the “Night of Destiny,” the most sacred in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with worshippers expected to gather for intense nighttime prayers at Al-Aqsa. Sunday night is also the start of Jerusalem Day, a national holiday in which Israel celebrates its annexation of east Jerusalem and religious nationalists hold parades and other celebrations in the city. On Monday, an Israeli court is expected to issue a verdict on the evictions.
