Israeli forces wounded 79 Palestinians and arrested dozens, including Palestinian political leaders and activists in demonstrations held by thousands in Jerusalem on Thursday.

Stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets were used to “disperse” the demonstrators, according to Maan News.

While 79 people were treated for wounds sustained by Israeli forces, 37 of them had to be taken to hospitals for treatment, reported the Red Crescent

Meanwhile, some of those arrested have been identified as Hatem Abd al-Qadir, a Fatah party official in Jerusalem; Adnan Ghaith, a Fatah secretary in Jerusalem and Amjad Abu Asab, the head of the Jerusalem Committee for Families of Prisoners.

Israeli authorities warned on Thursday that they were preparing for possible confrontations with Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank ahead of planned demonstrations and clashes by Palestinians responding to the closure of Al Aqsa Mosque and the use of metal detectors at every one of its entrances.

Following the protests, Israeli authorities made the decision to deny entry to the Old City for Palestinian men under 50 years old, while allowing entry for all women, regardless of their age, according to Haaretz.

Palestinian media outlets reported that Israeli forces set up barriers on all roads leading up to the Old City and to Al Aqsa, preventing the entry of Palestinians, as well as keeping metal detectors on the gates of Al Aqsa courtyard until further notice.

In response, Palestinians refused to enter the Mosque to pray and prayed in the streets adjacent to it instead.

The heightened security and closure at Al Aqsa comes after three Palestinian assailants shot and killed two Israeli policemen in Jerusalem's Old City last Friday. The attackers were subsequently shot dead by Israeli forces inside the compound.
Israel is suspected to be using last Friday’s attack as a means of furthering control over important sites in Palestinian territories, and normalizing repressive measures against Palestinians, according to Maan News.

The US Department of State stressed the importance of stabilizing the situation in Jerusalem, and has urged Israelis and Palestinians not to take any actions that would escalate the tensions in the city.