Israeli soldiers broke on Wednesday evening into the yards of the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, clashed with dozens of Palestinian youths and arrested several Muslim worshipers; at least fifteen Palestinians were wounded. The army claimed that the soldiers were chasing Palestinians who hurled stones and empty bottles at them after an Israeli security guard, working for a private security company, shot and killed, Samer Sarhan, 32.
Sarhan, left behind a wife and five children, the oldest is 11 and the youngest is 3 years old.
Local sources in Jerusalem reported that at least fifteen Palestinians were wounded since morning hours on Wednesday, while several others were detained and were moved to interrogation centers.
Member of the Committee for Defending Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem, Fakhri Abu Thiab, stated that tension is mounting especially after the army and the police broke into the yards of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Silwan neighborhood adjacent to the mosque.
In related news, the Israeli Radio reported that a 53-year-old Israeli man was moderately wounded after being stabbed near the Augusta Victoria hospital in East Jerusalem.
The Israeli Police said that police officers evacuated the man to an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem and managed to evacuate two Israelis who accompanied him after a number of Palestinian youths hurled stones at their vehicle and flipped it over.
Severe clashes were reported in different Palestinian neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Israeli guard who killed Sarhan was briefly detained by the police and was released on bail on Wednesday evening.
