Israeli police run past a fire in the street during clashes with Palestinian protesters outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on April 22, 2021. AFP
Israeli police run past a fire in the street during clashes with Palestinian protesters outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on April 22, 2021. AFP
Israeli police run past a fire in the street during clashes with Palestinian protesters outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on April 22, 2021. AFP
Israeli police run past a fire in the street during clashes with Palestinian protesters outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on April 22, 2021. AFP

Tensions high in East Jerusalem after clashes


  • English
  • Arabic

Tension are running high in East Jerusalem after Israeli police clashed with Palestinians outside the Old City on Thursday and Jewish extremists tried to stage a march to the area.

The city is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, including the Al Aqsa mosque – the third-holiest site in Islam, and has long been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Police have clashed with Palestinians on a nightly basis since the start of Ramadan last week, when authorities set up barricades at Damascus Gate, a traditional outdoor gathering spot.

Members of the Israeli security forces stand guard as Jewish protesters gather outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on April 22, 2021. AFP
Members of the Israeli security forces stand guard as Jewish protesters gather outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on April 22, 2021. AFP

Police said protesters threw stones and bottles. Footage online showed police and hundreds of protesters running through the streets as the sound of either fireworks or stun grenades echoed in the background.

Police said three people were arrested.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it treated at least 105 people, with about 20 of them taken to hospital.

Israeli police said 20 officers were wounded, three of whom were taken to hospital.

"Palestinians love to relax in this area after evening prayers at Al Aqsa mosque, but the occupation [Israel] doesn't like it. It's a matter of sovereignty," Jerusalem resident Mohammad Abu Al Homus told Reuters, pointing to the metal barricades put outside Damascus Gate.

The police did not say why they erected the barriers.

Meanwhile, a far-right Jewish group known as Lahava led a march towards Damascus Gate involving hundreds of protesters chanting "Arabs get out".

The show of force came in response to videos circulated on TikTok allegedly showing Palestinians slapping religious Jews at random. Other videos made in response to them appear to show Jews assaulting Arabs.

Police set up barricades a few hundred metres from Damascus Gate to keep the protesters apart.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, where the Old City is, in the 1967 war and annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.

Its status was one of the thorniest issues in the peace process, which ground to a halt more than a decade ago.

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

Rating: 1 out of 4

Running time: 81 minutes

Director: David Blue Garcia

Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham

High profile Al Shabab attacks
  • 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
  • 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
  • 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
  • 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
  • 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
  • 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456hp%20at%205%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E691Nm%20at%203%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14.6L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh349%2C545%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Kill%20Bill%20Volume%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Quentin%20Tarantino%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Uma%20Thurman%2C%20David%20Carradine%20and%20Michael%20Madsen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A