Palestinians injured by Israeli forces near Gaza fence

By Mohammad Majid

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - A number of Palestinians on Monday sustained injuries from Israeli forces in eastern Gaza during a protest against Israeli violations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were wounded by bullets in addition to dozens who suffered asphyxiation from teargas canisters fired as Israeli forces tried to disperse the protest.

The Israeli army has yet to comment on the incident.

For the second day, hundreds of Palestinians gathered near the Israeli military fence on the eastern Gaza borders to join protests denouncing the Israeli settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and emptying it of Muslim worshippers to mark the Jewish holidays.

The Israeli army announced earlier that it deployed further armed units including snipers along the border line with Gaza.

On Sunday, more than 300 Israeli settlers forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa complex is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar