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STORY: :: Israeli police and Jewish pilgrims appear to clash at a religious festival site

:: Authorities had closed the site this year due to rocket fire from Lebanon

:: Police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims, though hundreds had managed to reach the area

:: Meron, Israel

:: Israeli Police Handout

:: Released on May 26, 2024

:: Admma

Videos circulating on social media from Israeli Police and ADMMA appeared to show clashes between Israeli officers and worshippers on site.

Reuters was able to locate videos from the shape of the mountain and building on the background match Google Earth topography imagery and nearby buildings, greenery, floor surface and fence panels match the satellite imagery corroborating video shows the same scene. Reuters was not able to confirm when the videos were filmed.

Since the 2021 tragedy at the tomb of a 2nd-century sage during the annual Lag B'Omer celebration, police have limited the number of attendees. The all-night sessions of prayer, mystical songs and dance had in previous years drawn crowds in the tens of thousands.

This year's festival was canceled since the site at Meron in the Galilee region has been targeted by rocket fire from Lebanon. Many northern Israeli towns have been evacuated since Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon began firing at them following Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. Both sides have traded blows since.

Despite the closure, police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims over the weekend, though hundreds managed to reach the site, where things got out of hand. The visitors damaged property and hurled objects at officers, police said. Nineteen officers were injured.

Israeli media reported that several people among the unauthorized crowd were hurt.

At least one officer was suspended for pushing an older man to the ground, and police said it was examining other incidents from the site.