Israeli police say 10 arrested in clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem

Jordan's king urges calm between Israelis and Palestinians

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Dozens of people were wounded as Palestinians clashed with Israeli police outside Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday.

Objects were thrown at officers, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades in front of Damascus Gate, as Palestinians congregated after prayers on the second night of Ramadan, an AFP photographer said.

Israeli police said they arrested 10 people on suspicion of rioting and attacking officers, with one policeman wounded when a bottle was thrown to his face. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 11 people were wounded in the clashes.

On Sunday afternoon, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid toured the site and met policemen.

"This is a tense period, but we have a police force we can trust to take us through it," he said in remarks relayed by his office. "I'm proud of our officers."

Earlier on Sunday, Jordan's King Abdullah II told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett there must be calm between Israelis and Palestinians.

During a telephone call with Mr Bennett, the king emphasised "the importance of achieving calm in order to avoid any escalation in the Palestinian territories", the royal court said.

King Abdullah called for "removing all obstacles to Muslim prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque compound, particularly with the start of the holy month of Ramadan, and to prevent provocations that could lead to an escalation".

Israeli police arrest Palestinians gathered at Damascus Gate

Israeli police arrest Palestinians gathered at Damascus Gate

Mr Bennett also met the head of the Shin Bet internal security service and a West Bank military commander on Sunday.

This came after an Israeli operation near Jenin on Saturday, during which three Palestinian militants were killed in a gunfight involving Israeli special troops.

Eleven people have been killed in attacks in Israel since March 22, including some carried out by assailants linked to or inspired by ISIS.

Over the same period, eight Palestinians have been killed, an AFP tally shows, including two assailants in anti-Israeli attacks and six people the Israelis said had carried out attacks or were about to do so.

Last year during Ramadan, clashes that flared between Israeli forces and Palestinians visiting east Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque compound led to 11 days of devastating conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip's rulers Hamas.

Updated: April 05, 2022, 3:38 AM