Monday, 10 May 2021 10:22 AM MYT
Police fired stun grenades and “skunk” water cannons spraying foul-smelling water at Palestinians outside the Old City’s Damascus Gate and scuffled with youths in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, amid other isolated flare ups across the area. But the Israeli role in the hostilities — especially Friday’s clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site — has met widespread criticism.All six Arab nations that have diplomatic ties with Israel — Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan — have condemned the Jewish state over its weekend aggression at Al-Aqsa.
The Middle East quartet of envoys from the European Union, Russia, the United States and the UN — and Pope Francis — have all called for calm. But much of the recent violence stems from a long-running legal effort by Jewish settler groups to evict several Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah.
Old City shopkeeper Mohammad said Israeli police told him he must close Monday afternoon, when Israeli Jews plan to march with Israeli flags to mark Jerusalem’s “reunification”.