Clashes erupt between Israeli police and Palestinians at the al-Aqsa mosque
21 May 2021, 14:21
Clashes have erupted between Israeli police and Palestinians at the al-Aqsa mosque just hours into a ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Police fired tear gas, stun grenades and sound bombs at worshippers attending weekly prayers at the compound - a flashpoint holy site revered by Jews and Muslims which sparked the most recent conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned earlier that Gaza's Hamas militants would be met with "a new level of force" if they broke the ceasefire.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson welcomes Israel-Gaza ceasefire after 11 days of conflict
In a speech hours after the truce took effect on Friday, he added: "If Hamas thinks we will tolerate a drizzle of rockets, it is wrong."
Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war which ended in the early hours of Friday morning - their fourth since the Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
Palestinians rallied in their thousands early on Friday after a ceasefire took effect in the latest Gaza conflict, with many viewing it as a costly but clear victory for the Islamic militant group Hamas over a far more powerful Israel.
The 11-day conflict left more than 200 dead - the vast majority Palestinians - and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished Gaza Strip.
But the rocket barrages that brought life to a standstill in much of Israel were seen by many Palestinians as a bold response to perceived Israeli abuses in Jerusalem, the emotional heart of the conflict.
READ MORE: Israel approves ceasefire after 11 days of deadly violence in Gaza
Thousands took to the streets of Gaza to celebrate as the ceasefire took hold at 2am but many protesters continued into mid-morning, demonstrating against Israel's actions during the conflict.
Young men waved Palestinian and Hamas flags, passed out sweets, honked horns and set off fireworks.
Spontaneous celebrations also broke out in east Jerusalem and across the occupied West Bank.
The mood was more sombre in Israel, where prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced angry accusations from his right-wing base that he had halted the conflict too soon.
Like the three previous conflicts between the bitter enemies, the latest round of fighting ended inconclusively.
Israel claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on Hamas with hundreds of bruising airstrikes but once again was unable to halt the rockets.
Hamas also claimed victory, despite the toll it took on countless Palestinian families who lost loved ones, homes and businesses.
It now faces the challenge of rebuilding in a territory already suffering from high unemployment and a coronavirus outbreak.
The ceasefire was brokered by neighbouring Egypt after the US pressed Israel to wind down the offensive.
