Five Arabs were arrested after attempting to ram into Border Police forces in east Jerusalem on Monday evening, as riots broke out during the funeral of an Arab who was injured during recent clashes on the Temple Mount, according to Israel Police.
الآلاف يشيعون جثمان الشهيد وليد الشريف في صحن قبة الصخرة وسط هتافات غاضبة pic.twitter.com/ItZbduA3Cz
— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) May 16, 2022
Israeli forces shot at the vehicle's wheels and arrested the five who were inside the vehicle. Four of them are West Bank residents, while the other is a resident of northern Israel.
Videos from the scene show Israeli forces surrounding the terrorists' vehicle after they attempted the ramming attack. No injuries were reported in the incident.
נעצר חשוד נסיון פיגוע דריסה אין נפגעים pic.twitter.com/2A9cbJUbjx
— חדשות ישראל בטוויטר (@LHdswt) May 16, 2022
A further 15 Arabs were arrested in clashes in east Jerusalem between the police and hundreds of Palestinians in which six police officers were lightly injured. Police stated that they were expecting to conduct further arrests.
The attempted attack and the clashes occurred against the backdrop of the funeral of Walid al-Sharif, who was severely injured during violent clashes with Israeli forces last month at al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Sharif was claimed by Hamas as a member.
Sharif died in hospital on Saturday morning. Israel Police said he fell and hit his head after throwing rocks at troops while Palestinians say he was hit in the head by a rubber bullet.
مجددا قوات الاحتلال تقتحم المقبرة أثناء تشييع جثمان الشهيد وليد الشريف pic.twitter.com/6OwHXC2dQL
— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) May 16, 2022
According to police, they coordinated the funeral with al-Sharif's family in order to prevent an escalation of violence and riots. However, clashes erupted on Temple Mount and other locations in east Jerusalem where hundreds of Palestinians reportedly threw stones and bottles toward Israeli forces while waving Palestinian and Hamas flags.
Police used riot control methods such as tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the Palestinian rioters, who launched fireworks and threw objects toward Israeli forces in response. Videos from east Jerusalem showed police forces on the street being pelted by stones being thrown from rooftops and having barrages of fireworks launched towards them at the cemetery where the burial took place.
هروب قوات الاحتلال خلال المواجهات في شارع صلاح الدين بالقدس قبل قليل pic.twitter.com/vK0QpS1M1e
— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) May 16, 2022
According to police, the rioters caused damage to vehicles and infrastructure and injured a number of passersby.
Over 80 Palestinians were injured in the clashes, including four seriously, according to Palestinian reports citing the Red Crescent.
"We will continue to act with determination and a hard hand against those lawbreakers and violators who turned a funeral into a demonstration of unbridled violence," said Israel Police.
Hamas called the clashes "Zionist terrorism" and stressed that the clashes would be met with "more steadfastness, challenging and open confrontation." The movement called for an escalation of "comprehensive resistance" and clashes with Israeli forces.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement called the clashes an "unforgiveable crime" and compared the situation to the funeral of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
"The occupation's attempt to terrorize our people in Jerusalem and break up the popular rally around the martyrs and their families are desperate attempts that reflect the depth of failure and powerlessness that the Zionist project has reached," said PIJ spokesperson Tariq Salmi.