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Muslims pray at night at the Al-Aqsa Mosque
Photo: Mahmoud Illean / AP
Concerns about an escalation of violence are always present in Jerusalem. This year the danger is particularly great because of the Gaza war. According to their own statements, Israel's police have now arrested 16 people after a prayer on the Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) in Jerusalem.
The police said in the morning that they chanted slogans calling for or supporting terrorism at the facility. She spoke of two separate incidents that night. Several suspects were arrested at the gates to the Temple Mount and others in the Old City of Jerusalem.
According to the information, those affected are residents from the Arab-dominated eastern part of Jerusalem, people from northern Israel and a Palestinian from the West Bank. Israeli police also reportedly used tear gas at the facility using a drone.
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. The complex is also sacred to Jews because two Jewish temples used to stand there.
Because of the war in Gaza following the Hamas massacre in Israel, there were fears that further violence could occur during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In recent weeks, prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount have been largely peaceful.
svs/dpa