Tens of Thousands March Through Jerusalem Old City

Tens of thousands of Israelis marched through the narrow streets of Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday, chanting slogans including "Death to Arabs" and "May your villages burn" during the annual Jerusalem Day procession. The event, which passes through predominantly Palestinian areas, drew heavy police deployment, including barricades and mounted officers, as Palestinian residents closed shops and remained indoors.

The march commemorates Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites, during the 1967 Middle East war. The route begins near Damascus Gate and proceeds through the Muslim Quarter before ending at the Western Wall. Authorities closed major roads and restricted access to parts of the area, with police designating spaces for journalists.

Earlier Thursday, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the nearby Temple Mount compound, known to Muslims as Al-Aqsa Mosque, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's third holiest. Flanked by bodyguards, he raised an Israeli flag and stated on Telegram, "Fifty-nine years after the liberation of Jerusalem, I raised the Israeli flag on the Temple Mount, and we can say with pride we have...