Six Arab residents of Jerusalem were arrested after clashes between police and Palestinians took place at the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday.
After four nights of hostilities at Damascus Gate, Police have said that fireworks were launched at authorities as well as stones and other items.
Police officers also dealt with a separate brawl that broke out in the area with zero injuries reported.
A police statement read: “We will not allow those inciting and violent margins to disrupt order. We call on the public to mark the month of Ramadan legally, obey police instructions, and avoid violence and disturbances of any kind.
“Whoever chooses to disturb the order, riot, and engage in violence of any kind, harms first and foremost the large public of worshipers, merchants, and visitors, the vast majority of whom wished to celebrate Ramadan in peace and security.” The police statement also read.
Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid, visited the Damascus Gate area with Kobi Shabtai, Israel’s Police commissioner, on Sunday. This has been branded as provocative by Palestinians and drew criticism some of Lapid’s coalition partners.
Authorities in Israel have been on high alert in recent days, due to a string of terror attacks that resulted in 11 deaths in late March. Police have also warned of the increased risk of violence throughout Ramadan.
Israeli Prime minister Naftali Bennett said that 15 attacks have been stopped and the spree of recent attacks should serve as a wake-up call to the Israeli people.
According to reports from Israeli media, security forces arrested 14 residents of East Jerusalem over the last three days for inciting others to carry out attacks and for planning attacks.
Restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank are set to be relaxed to allow women, children, and men over 40 access to the Al-Aqsa mosque for prayers over Ramadan in an attempt to calm tensions.
In a phone call on Tuesday night, Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz told the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas that restrictions could be further relaxed if the spate of recent terror ends.
