15 right-wing Jewish activists arrested for trying to march towards contested Jerusalem site

Fifteen right-wing Jewish activists were arrested on Thursday after trying to hold an illegal march towards the highly contested site of Temple Mount in east Jerusalem, the Israeli police said.

Dozens of right-wing activists gathered at Jerusalem's city center on late Thursday afternoon. They reached the Nablus Gate in east Jerusalem, where police at the scene detained 15 people for disturbing the order, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.

"They (the activists) had formed a human chain and prevented local residents from passing and also attacked them," she said.

Among the arrested were three women carrying their children on them.

Samri added that the police would "continue to act fearlessly against any attempt to break the law and risk public safety."

Earlier on Thursday, police prevented dozens of Arab Israelis from northern Israel from marching into the east Jerusalem Palestinian village of Beit Hanina. The group, said by police to be affiliated with the national Islamic Movement, returned home and no one was detained in the incident.

These events took place on the day Israelis celebrate the country's Independence Day, with Israeli security forces were on high alert at various cities across the country.

A closure has been imposed on the West Bank territories since Tuesday night, and set to end early Friday, preventing Palestinians from exiting the area into Israel, amid security concerns and the commemoration of national holidays, the Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims on Wednesday, and Independence Day.

Temple Mount is holy to both Jews and Muslims, and the site is jointly operated by Israel and Jordan. Muslims believe it is the place from where Mohammad ascended to heaven, while Jews believe they site is a part of what remains of the second Jewish temple.

According to understandings over the holy site, Muslims can pray in it, whereas non-Muslims can visit but not pray in it. Some right-wing Jewish activists, as well as parliament members, have called to allow Jews to pray at the site, causing an outbreak of violence in October 2015.

The violence soon developed into a wave of unrest between Israelis and Palestinians across the country and in the West Bank area, claiming the lives of some 28 Israelis and 203 Palestinians.

Source: XINHUA