Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo
- Hamas called on Palestinians in Gaza to protest to mark the anniversary of the burning of Al Aqsa.
- 26 Palestinians were injured after Israel fired at protesters, Al Jazeera reported.
- An Australian extremist tried to burn the mosque down in 1969, the Middle East Monitor reported.
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More than two dozen Palestinians were injured after Israel fired at protesters in the Gaza strip on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.
A 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head was one of 26 Palestinians injured at the border with Israel after Hamas called for protests to mark the 52 anniversary of the burning of the Al Aqsa mosque.
"Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line, and any attack on it will be met with valiant resistance from our people," the movement said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.
On August 21, 1969, Dennis Michael Rohan traveled from Australia to Al Aqsa and attempted to set it on fire, the Middle East Monitor reported. Both Muslim and Christian worshippers who saw the smoke attempted to get into the mosque to extinguish the flames but were stopped by Israeli forces and clashes ensued.
The Associated Press reported that on Saturday, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated near the border and the protests turned violent after dozens threw rocks and explosives towards Israeli soldiers near the border fence.
Israelis fired live ammunition and tear gas in response. "Troops are prepared in the area and are using riot dispersal means, and if necessary, 0.22 calibre rounds," the Israeli army told AFP. The army also said a member of the paramilitary border police was hospitalized, the AP reported.
The incident comes exactly three months after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement on May 21, following 11 days of fighting. More than 230 Palestinians were killed and over 1,900 were wounded in Gaza during the conflict. Twelve Israelis were also killed.
The fighting began following protests by Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood ahead of a court hearing to decide whether families would be forcefully evicted from their homes. During the protests, Israeli forces stormed the Al Aqsa mosque as worshippers were praying during the last 10 nights of Ramadan. Hamas, in retaliation, fired rockets into Israel, prompting Israel to launch airstrikes into Gaza.
The AP reported that Hamas also organized similar protests in 2018 and 2019 to bring attention to Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip.
Israel said it would allow funds from Qatar to go to Palestinians in Gaza but the rest of the blockade is still in effect, Haaretz reported on Thursday.