Mass protests erupt across Palestinian towns in Israel
Palestinians have come out en mass on Tuesday evening across large parts of Palestinian cities in Israel and in the occupied West Bank to reject recent attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza.
The protests come following the fourth storming of al-Aqsa Mosque over the past week as well as the killing of dozens of Palestinians in Gaza in Israeli air strikes.
Hundreds of Palestinian citizens of Israel took to the streets of various cities, including Nazareth, Haifa, Jaffa and Lod to denounce the attacks on Gaza and stand in solidarity with residents of the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, who face imminent expulsion from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.
Demonstrations also took place in the cities of Umm al-Fahm, al-Mashad, Tamra, Arara, amongst others. A heavy Israeli police presence was present on the ground. Local news outlet Arab48 reported two serious injuries among Palestinian demonstrators.
Crowds were dispersed using tear gas and rubber-coated bullets in several towns.
In Umm al-Fahm, Palestinian protesters carried out road blocks and set fire to tyres. Investigations have been launched after a police station was set on fire in Acre.
In Haifa, the violent dispersal of protesters resulted in injuries and a number of arrests of protesters. Israeli police later closed access to the roads in an effort to quell the growing number of people gathering.
Palestinians have raised concerns in recent days over the continued use of tear gas and stun grenades to deter protesters from gathering.
On Monday evening, a Palestinian man, identified as Moussa Hassona, was shot dead as protests continued in the city of Lod.
A demonstrator was seriously injured as a result of the impact of a fire bomb and suffocation from smoke inhalation in Sakhnin. Israeli police arrested several demonstrators in Jaffa, where Palestinians have been protesting for three days.
Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz has since instructed the army to take measures to restore order in the various cities, and the public security minister later announced a state of emergency and further deployments to quell the protests.