Palestinians in Jerusalem scrambling and seeking cover as smoke from tear gas and stun grenades fired by Israeli police fill the air. (WAFA photo/Afif Amireh) 

JERUSALEM, July 21, 2017 (WAFA) – Israelis shot dead three Palestinians and wounded hundreds others on Friday in a day of rage called for in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and in protest against new Israeli measures at the Muslim holy site.

Israeli police used what many have described as brutal force to disperse thousands of Palestinians of all ages who were worshipping in East Jerusalem streets after they were banned from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque to hold the Friday prayer.

Thousands of Palestinian Muslims normally attend the Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site. However, when they were not able to reach the mosque due to Israeli police barricades throughout Jerusalem streets and on roads leading to the holy city, they decided to hold prayer in the streets closest to the mosque.

A large armed Israeli police force equipped with anti-riot gear attacked the worshippers the minute the prayer was over and before giving them a chance to leave the area.

Fearing for their life, the worshippers, most of them older people, scrambled to get away with many falling to ground in the stampede while others suffocating from smoke caused by the large number of tear gas canisters and stun grenades fired mercilessly and randomly by the police in their direction.

Younger Palestinians responded to the police assault with stones. Police responded with firing more tear gas and often rubber bullets, with occasional live ammunition.

The result, at least in occupied East Jerusalem, were two Palestinians dead.

The first was identified as Mohammad Mahmoud Sharaf, 17, from Ras El-Amoud, an East Jerusalem neighborhood. However, he was believed to have been shot dead by an Israeli settler.

The second, who was announced dead shortly after, was identified as Mohammad Abu Ghannam, 20, from Al-Tur/Mount of Olives neighborhood of East Jerusalem. He was shot and seriously wounded by the police but later died in hospital.

People took away the two bodies and buried them quickly before the police would raid Makased Hospital on the Mount of Olive and seize the corpses.

Police did raid the hospital in an attempt to arrest Palestinians wounded in the clashes, but had to leave it after clashes in the hospital vicinity.

The third dead Palestinian was identified as Mohammad Lafi, 18, who was shot in the chest by Israeli forces during clashes in the town of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem.

Lafi was rushed to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah where attempts to save his life have failed and he was pronounced dead.

The Red Crescent said more than 100 Palestinians were injured in the East Jerusalem clashes, many of them from rubber bullets, burning from grenades, and beating.

Confrontations with Israeli forces were also reported since the end of the Friday prayers in several towns and locations around the West Bank, but most noticeably at Qalandia checkpoint north of Jerusalem and Rachel’s Tomb checkpoint bordering Bethlehem south of Jerusalem.

Palestinians held the Friday prayers at the checkpoints. Soldiers attacked the worshippers before they started their prayer rituals, but the large assault came immediately after the end of the prayer, with again the soldiers not giving the worshippers enough time to leave the areas.

The Red Crescent said dozens of people were hurt from rubber bullets and tear gas at these two locations and many were taken to hospitals in Ramallah and Bethlehem for treatment. Some injuries were reported serious.

Clashes were also reported at contact points with Israeli soldiers in Hebron, Nablus, and Gaza as well as several West Bank villages.

The Red Crescent said the toll of wounded has reached over 400 by the afternoon hours.

The protests were still in full force at many locations  in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the afternoon hours.

M.K.