Israeli police halt settler march in Jerusalem after 'racist chants' Israel-Palestine conflict news.
The march was initially approved despite concerns over possible violence during the war on Gaza.
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JERUSALEM – About 200 Israeli settlers gathered in the center of West Jerusalem on Thursday night, holding provocative speeches before being forcibly dispersed by Israeli police.
The march will proceed to the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and enter through the Damascus Gate. But police said the marchers violated the conditions the authorities had set for them, forcing them to crack down and revoke the permission granted for the march.
Similar marches by far-right groups through Jerusalem's Old City have often escalated violence and tensions against Palestinians in the past. The Old City is part of East Jerusalem that has been under illegal Israeli occupation since 1967.
Thursday's march raised more than usual concerns about possible violence because it was planned during Israel's war on Gaza. Israeli bombardment and artillery have killed more than 17,000 people in Gaza since October 7, when Hamas fighters invaded southern Israel, killing 1,200 and capturing 240 others.
"First, racist chants were heard on the spot from some of the participants, and at one point dozens of protesters defied the instructions of the police officers on the spot and ran wild for a while without permission from the police. moved forward. The distance," said a spokesman for the Israeli police. "The police stopped them after a few tens of meters, and accordingly, an illegal assembly was declared by a police officer."
"The Israel Police will continue to allow freedom of expression and protest within the limits of the law, but will not allow violations of public order against the law."
Speaking to Al Jazeera, one of the settlers participating in March described the group's intention as "getting rid of the Muslim endowment of the Temple Mount because the Temple Mount belongs only to the Jewish people", a Jordanian-appointed organization. Referring to the one that administers it.Masjid al-Aqsa.
Al-Aqsa, one of Islam's holiest sites, is also known as the Temple Mount and is a holy site for Jews. The site has been a hotbed of tension in Jerusalem for decades.
In recent years, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been subject to frequent attacks by settlers, often supported by influential politicians such as National Security Minister Atmar Bin Guerr.
After Thursday's march was cancelled, the old city remained closed amid fears that settlers could enter and launch attacks against residents.
Israel has faced increasing criticism from its allies, especially the United States, over violence and provocation by settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
