Tensions heighten at Haram al-Sharif during Passover as 115 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary; 2 Palestinians are detained and 13 right-wing Jewish activists are removed from the site after a verbal altercation. The Israeli authorities also inform administrators at al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron that the mosque will be closed on 4/25 and 4/26. Meanwhile, off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on a Palestinian fishing boat, causing no damage, arrest 2 fishermen, and confiscate their boat. In the West Bank, Israeli forces reopen an entrance to a village nr. Hebron that has been closed since 10/2015. IDF troops conduct late-night raids in Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian and confiscating property; patrols nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Silwan, arresting 2 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 2, and sparking minor clashes with residents of the area; there are no serious injuries. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/24; HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/25; PCHR 4/28)
Sunday, April 24, 2016