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Sixteen Palestinians Held after Jerusalem Clashes | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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JERUSALEM, (AFP) – Sixteen Palestinians have been detained in connection with clashes in east Jerusalem, police said on Friday.

“We have arrested 16 residents, suspected of participating or organising the violence,” Jerusalem police spokesman Shmulik Ben Rubi said.

Two local leaders of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’ Fatah were among those who were detained, the faction said in a statement.

Fatah vowed it would “continue fighting to protect the population” against Israeli settlers.

Stone-throwing youths clashed with Israeli police in Arab east Jerusalem on Thursday after a Jewish settlement guard shot dead a Palestinian.

There were again isolated clashes on Friday, and police barred men under the age of 50 from joining Friday Muslim prayers at the flashpoint Al Aqsa mosque compound, which is known to the Jews as the Temple Mount and is holy to both religions.

The Israeli military already had imposed a 10-day closure of the West Bank as Jews celebrate the festival of Sukkot.

Such closures are routinely imposed during Jewish and Israeli national holidays when large numbers of people often gather in public places, heightening Israeli security concerns.