Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Temple area in East Jerusalem on April 15, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Israeli police arrested hundreds of Palestinians and injured many others. The six-hour clash became the largest violent conflict in Jerusalem since the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Palestinians threw stones at the police, who stormed parts of the mosque compound, fired sound grenades and rubber bullets and arrested people.

The international community has condemned the violence in East Jerusalem, and called for all parties involved to exercise restraint. The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef Al-Hajraf condemned the actions of the Israeli police against Palestinian Muslims at the Al-Aqsa mosque. According to Hajraf, Muslim holy sites need to be respected and Israel needs to stop its current actions. He also called on the international community to prevent the situation in East Jerusalem from affecting regional security.

The US, an ally of Israel, expressed deep concern and called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that provoke and complicate the situation and urged Israeli and Palestinian authorities to work together to de-escalate tensions and ensure the safety of all. The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Spain and Italy issued a joint statement condemning the violence in East Jerusalem.