Protests after Muslim prayers across Mideast over Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

Tens of thousands of Muslims demonstrated Friday across the Middle East in support of the Palestinians and against Israeli airstrikes pounding Gaza underscoring the risk of a wider regional conflict erupting as Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion in the coastal strip From Amman Jordan to Yemens capital of Sanaa Muslims poured out onto the streets after weekly Friday prayers angered by the Israeli strikes in a war that began after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel last SaturdayAt AlAqsa Mosque in Jerusalem Israeli police had been permitting only older men women and children to enter the sprawling hilltop compound for prayers trying to limit the potential for violence as tens of thousands attend on a typical FridayAn Associated Press reporter watched police allow just a Palestinian teenage girl and her mother into the compound out of 20 worshippers who tried to get in some of them even over the age of 50Young Palestinian men who were refused entry gathered at the steps near Lions Gate their eyes downcast until police shouted at them and shepherded them out of the Old City altogetherWe cant live we cant breathe they are killing everything that is good within us said Ahmad Barbour a 57yearold cleaner in a clean white thobe seething after police blocked him from entering for prayersldquoEverything that is forbidden to us is allowed to themrdquo he added referring to IsraelisThe mosque sits in a hilltop compound sacred to both Jews and Muslims and conflicting claims over it have spilt into violence before AlAqsa is the thirdholiest site in Islam and stands in a spot known to Jews as the Temple Mount which is the holiest site in JudaismPolice later fired tear gas in the Old City and east Jerusalem The Palestinian Red Crescent said its medics treated six wounded people with at least one beaten up by officersIn Beirut thousands of Hezbollah supporters waved Lebanese Palestinian and Hezbollah flags chanting slogans supporting Gaza and calling ldquodeath to IsraelrdquoThe Iranianbacked militant group in neighbouring Lebanon has launched attacks since the Hamas assault but largely hasnt entered the war However Hezbollahs deputy secretarygeneral warned that it will be ldquoon the lookoutrdquo for the US and British naval vessels heading to the Mediterranean SeaUS officials including President Joe Biden have repeatedly warned Iran and the militias it backs in the Mideast to stay out of the conflict ldquoYour battleships do not interest us nor do your statements frighten usrdquo Naim Kassim said at a rally in a southern suburb of Beirut ldquoWe as Hezbollah ldquo follow the steps of the enemy and have full preparedness And when the time is right to take action we will do sordquoIn Baghdad tens of thousands gathered in Tahrir Square in the centre of Iraqs capital for protests called by the influential Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada alSadr ldquoMay this demonstration terrify the great evil America which supports Zionist terrorism against our loved ones in Palestinerdquo alSadr said in an online statementAcross Iran a supporter of Hamas and Israels regional archenemy demonstrators protested In Tehran the countrys capital they burned Israeli and American flags chanting ldquoDeath to Israelrdquo ldquoDeath to Americardquo ldquoIsrael will be doomed and Palestine will be the conquerorrdquoldquoThe Palestinian people are fed up now your idea is to destroy Gaza the houses of the people Irans hardline President Ebrahim Raisi said in a speech in the countrys southern Fars province ldquoThe people of the world and Palestine will cause trouble for yourdquoIn Yemens Sanaa held by the Iranianbacked Houthi rebels still at war with a Saudiled coalition live television footage showed demonstrators crowding streets and waving Yemeni and Palestinian flags The rebels slogan long has been ldquoGod is the greatest death to America death to Israel the curse of the Jews victory to IslamrdquoAfter prayers in Islamabad Pakistans capital some worshippers stepped on American and Israeli flags in a sign of disrespect Protests there broke up peacefully though other larger ones were expected later in the day ldquoInternational media and international courts turn a blind eye to the injustices with the Palestinians But they only notice the actions that the Palestinians take to defend themselves said Faheem Ahmed a worshipper in Karachi They call it terrorism Today on Friday we beseech Allah to help and raise Palestine and destroy IsraelrdquoThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever