Police Disperse Violent Protests in Jerusalem, Two Injured in Beit Shemesh Rioting

Israel Police moved to disperse protesters in Jerusalem on Sunday evening after a demonstration escalated into violent clashes, with demonstrators blocking roads and throwing objects at officers, police said in a statement.

The confrontation unfolded on Haim Bar-Lev Boulevard in the capital, where protesters blocked traffic and confronted officers who had been called to the scene, according to police.

An officer declared the gathering unlawful and ordered those taking part to disperse. Police said some of the demonstrators refused to comply and began throwing objects at officers.

Officers from the Lev HaBira police station, backed by Border Police personnel, then used force to break up the gathering, restore order and reopen the roads that had been blocked.

As of the latest police update, no injuries or arrests were reported in connection with the Jerusalem protest.

Later on Sunday night, a separate incident in Beit Shemesh also turned violent. Police said two young men were injured when a concrete block fell on their feet after they had apparently pushed it.

According to police, the injuries occurred after hundreds of rioters set fire to bins and damaged infrastructure, including pushing concrete blocks onto the road.

Police stressed that the incident took place in an area where no officers were present and said there was no connection between police efforts to disperse the rioters and the injuries to the two young men.

"We would like to clarify that the incident occurred in a place where there were no police officers at all, and that there is no connection between the police's activity to disperse the rioters and the injury to the young people," the police statement said.

The statement added that, according to medical officials, two people were evacuated from the scene, apparently injured during the dispersal of the riot.