More Violence Flares Up in Jerusalem’s Old City

More clashes broke out between protesters and Israeli police around the Al Aqsa mosque and the Damascus Gate leading into East Jerusalem. A former Israeli defense official warned that it was a powder keg ready to explode at any time. At least 80 people were injured, including a one-year-old, and 108 people were taken to the hospital. Tens of thousands of Palestinians packed into the hilltop compound surrounding the mosque earlier on Friday, May 7, for prayers. Many stayed on to protest against the evictions in East Jerusalem at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, clashes broke out at Al-Aqsa with smaller scuffles near Sheikh Jarrah, which sits near the walled Old City’s famous Damascus Gate. Police used water cannon mounted on armored vehicles to disperse several hundred protesters gathered near the homes of families facing potential eviction.The Israeli Supreme Court will hold a hearing to decide if the evictions are legal.