Several Palestinians were hurt after Israeli police opened fire and used tear gas against them while they were participating in a protest on Gaza Strip's eastern border with Israel
Israelis dance and wave national flags during the march. Pic/AP
Thousands of Jewish nationalists, some of them chanting “Death to Arabs” and other racist slogans, paraded on Thursday through the main Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City, in an annual display that caused new friction between Jews and Palestinians in the tense city.
ADVERTISEMENT
The marchers, who were overwhelmingly male Orthodox teens and young men, were celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’, which marks Israel’s capture of the Old City 56 years ago. The Palestinians see the event as a provocation. Two years ago, the parade helped fuel an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Throughout the afternoon, dozens of groups hoisting blue and white Israeli flags streamed through Damascus Gate—the entry to the area’s Muslim Quarter—as they made their way across the Old City to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray. The area is normally bustling on Thursday afternoons with Palestinians doing their errands ahead of the weekend.
The boisterous crowds danced and chanted Jewish religious songs outside Damascus Gate as scores of Israeli police personnel stood guard. Several groups chanted slogans such as “death to arabs,” “Mohammed is dead” and “may your village burn” as they stared at Palestinian onlookers.
Live fire, tear gas used on Palestinians protesting march
Several Palestinians were hurt after Israeli police opened fire and used tear gas against them while they were participating in a protest on Gaza Strip's eastern border with Israel.
On Thursday, hundreds of Palestinians took part in the protest that had been scheduled by the Palestinian factions in response to the Israeli march. The protest in Gaza denounced the Jerusalem "flag march" and demanded a stop to Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. Israeli authorities stated that after Palestinians threw explosives at the fence separating Israel and Gaza, its officers opened fire, according to Al Jazeera.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever