Wednesday marks the annual Jerusalem Day holiday when Israelis celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control after the 1967 Six-Day War. However, this year's celebrations are taking place amid heightened tensions and an escalating conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Video: The Flag March in Jerusalem / Credit: Shmuel Buchris and Yoni Rykner
Thousands of Israeli police officers took up positions across Jerusalem in preparation for the yearly march, which includes tens of thousands of flag-bearing Israeli youths marching, dancing, and singing in unison as they make their way across the capital, including through the old city.
Palestinian residents in previous years have often tried to sabotage it, and this year was no exception. Even before the march, there were reported clashes near the Damascus Gate of the old city, which is where the march passes through as they make their way into the Muslim Quarter.
This year's march occurs against the backdrop of the nearly nine-month-long conflict in Gaza, heightening concerns about potential wider upheaval and violence due to the ongoing Gaza war following the Hamas atrocities.
קיצוניים יהודים הכו פלסטינים ועיתונאים בשער שכם. בהם גם ניר חסון חברינו @nirhasson מחריד !! pic.twitter.com/j5vtSW0dPd
— Yossi Eli (@Yossi_eli) June 5, 2024
Around 1,600 Jews ascended to the Temple Mount starting from the morning hours Wednesday in order to mark and celebrate Jerusalem Day. Dozens of Jews were instructed to stay away from the area in the morning, and around 15 people were detained and arrested for "prayer, singing, and bowing" (Israeli authorities do not allow active worship by Jews on the Temple Mount because of possible clashes with Muslims consider the area to be the third holiest site in Islam and have built there a large mosque spanning the almost the entire plaza). In the afternoon hours, clashes began between Jews and Palestinians in the area of Damascus Gate, where three people were arrested.
