Ultra-nationalist Jewish crowds have marched through Jerusalem’s Old City to celebrate Israel’s illegal occupation of East Jerusalem, chanting slogans such as “Death to Arabs”.
Thousands of marchers who outnumbered Israeli security forces deployed to control the crowds, entered the Old City.
The annual so-called flag march came after the far-right Israelis stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound – Islam’s third holiest site – in violation of the status quo. Jewish prayers are prohibited at the compound, where Jews believe the biblical temple once stood.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it in a move never recognised internationally.
The Palestinians, who seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, fear the Israeli march and storming of Al-Aqsa is a plot to take over or divide the area.
Israel denies such claims, saying it remains committed to the status quo.
In the occupied Palestinian territory, people protested against the march, burning Israeli flags and in many cases leading to confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. Dozens of Palestinians have been arrested and more than 100 have been injured.
Far-right Israelis march with flags at the Damascus Gate of the old city of Jerusalem.
Israelis dance and sing while they hold Israeli national flags by Damascus Gate to Jerusalem's old city.
A Palestinian woman waves a Palestinian flag as she protests against the
Israeli celebration of the annexation of East Jerusalem that was never
recognised by the international community.
Israeli border guards arrest a Palestinian man during the Israeli 'flags
march'. Al Jazeera's Imran Khan said that Israeli forces, however, did
not stop the Jewish crowd from the march despite fears of
confrontations.
Members of Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian protester near
Damascus Gate outside Jerusalem's old city. The Israeli forces did not
prevent the storming of the Al-Aqsa compound by the far-right Jewish
groups.
A protester draped in a Palestinian flag looks on as Palestinians
protest against the flag march and the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque
compound.
A member of Israeli forces takes aim during a protest by Palestinians in Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians take cover from Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israeli border guards take aim as Palestinian protesters gather at the Israeli-controlled Hawara checkpoint near Nablus.
A wounded Palestinian is carried after Israeli forces fired rubber bullets at protesters near the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Jewish crowd chanted racist slogans against Palestinians which led to a confrontation in the old city.
A Palestinian holds a flag during a protest over tensions in Jerusalem's
Al-Aqsa Mosque, at Hawara checkpoint in the Israeli-occupied West Bank