Hundreds of Muslims rioted on Friday morning on the Temple Mount after their morning prayers. Israel Police said rioters began marching, yelling out nationalistic slogans and violating public order. Police entered the compound in response and dispersed the rioters. About 8,000 worshipers attended Friday’s prayer on the Temple Mount, a larger number than usual.
الأقصى فجر اليوم عامر بالمصلين في كل جنباته.هذا الرباط الذي يغيظ العدو هذا الرباط إذ ينسف وهم التقسيم
عشرون عاماً من حصار الأقصى للاستفراد به وعزله عن أحبابه حتى يغدو مهجورا عشرون عاماً من التخطيط والتنكيل والقبضة الأمنية
عشرون عاما ينفجر المحتل غيظا وهو يراها قد باتت هباء منثورا pic.twitter.com/TNAomT2HDm— شبكة فلسطين للحوار (@paldf)
Arab media reported that the rioters came out of the prayer yelling “There is no God but Allah,” “Jews, the al-Aqsa army returns,” and “With spirit and blood, we will redeem al-Aqsa.”
מאות מתפללים התפרעו בסיום תפילת הבוקר בהר הבית. המשטרה נכנסה לשטח ההר ופיזרה את המפגינים pic.twitter.com/Fz5hWX9omN
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news)
District police commander Major General Doron Yadid, who gave the order to disperse the rioters, issued a statement saying, “Israel Police will not allow violations of the public order in the Temple Mount area, and will act to prevent any riots or nationalistic chants.”
Friday’s mass prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque was conducted as part of separate calls from Hamas and Fatah to turn Friday’s morning prayer into a protest prayer against Israel’s plans to Jewify eastern Jerusalem. Mass prayers also took place in the Gaza Strip. In Judea and Samaria the calls to prayer met with a reluctant response.