Palestinian boy arrested for waving Palestinian flag at al-Aqsa

Palestinian boy arrested for waving Palestinian flag at al-Aqsa
Israeli forces detained a boy on Sunday after he waved a Palestinian flag at Jeusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound during a visit by hundreds of Israeli right-wingers.
2 min read
23 July, 2018
More than 1,000 Israelis visited the holy site under heavy police escort on Sunday. [Getty]

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian boy on Sunday after he waved a Palestinian flag at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound during a visit by Israeli right-wingers.

Palestinian sources said more than a thousand Israelis visited the Jerusalem holy site under heavy police escort to commemorate the historic destruction of Jewish temples, referred to in Israel as Tisha B'av.

Israeli hardliner Yehuda Glick, a member of Likud who advocates for Jewish control of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, was reportedly seen during the visit.

Video footage emerged of a Palestinian boy being detained after raising the flag of Palestine above his head.

The boy, whose age is unknown, was seen being taken away by Israeli security forces.

It is unclear whether he has been released.

Custodianship of Haram al-Sharif - or Temple Mount - is central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians fearing Israel may one day seek to assert further control over the holy site.

It is located in East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

It is considered the third holiest site in Islam and the most sacred for Jews.

Jews are allowed to visit but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions.

Violence flared in the al-Aqsa compound last year after Israeli authorities installed metal detectors at the entrance to the compound following the fatal shooting of two security guards.