July 19, 2021: Israeli police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as hundreds of Jewish pilgrims were on their way there to mark a religious holiday.

The tensions along with a Jewish pilgrimage to the highly sensitive mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday have been condemned by Palestinians. Masjid Aqsa is the third holiest site of Islam, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Israeli right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has backed the state’s decision to allow Jews to visit the site.

According to Israeli police, early in the morning, Palestinian youths started throwing stones at police forces on Temple Mount, dispersing them. There were no official reports of arrests or injuries. An EU delegation visiting the Palestinian territories said in a tweet that it was “concerned about the ongoing tensions” and called for “no provocation”. It also called for respect for the site’s situation and urged Israeli, religious and community leaders to “immediately calm down the explosive situation.”

The incident took place on the day of the year thousands of years ago at the Jewish festival of Tisha Bi’aav, when, according to tradition, both Jewish temples on the Temple Mount were destroyed.

The shrine is located in East Jerusalem, which was occupied and occupied by Israel in 1967, but is managed by the Muslim Waqf Organization, which provides limited access to Jews.

Waqf has condemned “violations and attacks” by “Jewish fanatical groups” with the support of the Israeli government and political coverage.

The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of “compromising the security and stability of the region” by launching an “attack” on pilgrims. In the new swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Bennett, who belongs to Israeli religious right but heads a coalition that includes the Left Party and Israel’s Palestinian Citizens Party, said he was “on the side of the Jews.” He has instructed to continue regular and safe visits to Jerusalem, while aintaining order on the site.

In a second statement condemning Waqf and PA, Bennett stressed that “freedom of worship on the Temple Mount will also be fully reserved for Muslims,” referring to the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday.

Two years ago, during a Jewish and Muslim holiday, dozens of Palestinians were injured and seven were arrested as a result of violence at the site.

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