The clashes came as Ramadan this year coincides with Passover and Christian holy week.
— Palestinians clashed with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem before dawn on Friday as thousands gathered for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Medics said at least 152 Palestinians were wounded.
But Al Jazeera reported that the mosque manager called for masses to gather there and"defend it" as they perform Friday noon prayers. Later in the morning, Israeli police entered the mosque and were arresting people. Israeli security forces rarely enter the building, and when they do it is seen by Palestinians as a major escalation.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said dozens of masked men carrying Palestinian and Hamas flags had marched to the compound before dawn on Friday and gathered stones and other objects in anticipation of unrest. The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. It's built on a hilltop in Jerusalem's Old City that's the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the site of the Jewish temples in antiquity. It has been a major flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence for decades and was the epicenter of the 2000-2005 Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 17-year-old died early Friday from wounds suffered during clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, the day before.
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