An uneasy calm returned to occupied Jerusalem on Friday evening after a day of turmoil that saw Palestinians and leftwing protestors clash with Israeli occupation security forces across the city.
 
In East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood police arrested eight leftwing activists demonstrating against Israeli construction there.
 
The detentions sparked fury among protesters, some of whom told Israeli daily Haaretz that the arrests were unlawful. Israeli Police has discriminated against the 100-odd leftists who took part in the march, at the same time allowing a rightwing counter-demonstration to continue unimpeded, they claimed. 
 
Palestinian sources, meanwhile, reported that at least 15 Palestinians were injured in demonstrations in the occupied West Bank villages of Bil'in, Na'alim and Dir Nizam, according to an Army Radio report.
 
Earlier in the day, four Palestinians were detained on suspicion of throwing stones and two Israeli officers were injured in clashes in occupied Jerusalem's old city, a police spokesman said.
 
Israel had on Friday barred Palestinians from crossing from the occupied West Bank into occupied Jerusalem, and barred men under 50 from al-Aqsa mosque. 
 
Israel's closure of the West bank, which occupation authorities say is aimed at preventing a repeat of violent clashes last week in which dozens were injured, is set to last until Sunday.
 
In the Gaza Strip supporters rallied to protest at Israel's policies in occupied Jerusalem: "We will redeem al-Aqsa mosque with our souls and our blood," the crowd chanted.
 
As demonstrators burned U.S. and Israeli flags, Khalil al-Hayya, a leader of the Hamas movement, urged Hamas's rival, West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to reverse his decision to engage in "proximity talks" with Israel through U.S. mediators after a hiatus of 15 months.
 
"These direct and indirect negotiations provide a cover to the Zionist aggression against our people and our lands," Hayya told the crowd. "Our angry people now are calling on the Palestinian negotiator to back off from these negotiations which encourage more settlements and the Judaisation of Jerusalem."
 
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