East Jerusalem hospitals fill up with Palestinians
Palestinians wounded in clashes with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound have filled the halls of an east Jerusalem hospital, where several had lost eyes after being hit by rubber bullets.
Ezzedine, a 19-year-old carpenter from the West Bank city of Nablus, said that doctors at the large Makassed Hospital told him he would not regain sight in his left eye after a rubber bullet hit him while he visited the holy site.
He said he came to Al-Aqsa to perform Ramadan prayers on Friday night when police began firing stun grenades and tear gas in clashes, that saw Palestinians hurl rocks and other projectiles.
"They want to take a place that's not theirs," he told AFP, referring to Israel's actions at Islam's third holiest site, which is also revered by Jews who call it the Temple Mount.
More than 700 Palestinians, and more than 50 Israeli police, have been wounded since Friday in violence at Al-Aqsa and in other parts of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
Makassed director Adnan Farhoud said the hospital had received over 200 patients since the unrest began. Most injuries were to the head, chest and limbs, he said -- arguing the wounds showed that Israeli forces intended to cause significant injury.
When "you mean to harm someone, you shoot at the head", he told AFP.
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