Palestinians protest Egypt’s bloody crackdown

Hundreds of Palestinian Islamists rallied on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City Friday against the interim government in Egypt and its bloody crackdown on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The crowds chanted in support of ousted president Mohammed Morsi and against Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who they accused collaborating with the US and killing his own people for the sake of the Jews. Demonstrators were likely referring to recent reports that Egyptian authorities had warned Israel of impending terrorist attacks from the Sinai Peninsula, prompting Israel to reportedly launch a drone strike that killed four jihadists.

There were no reports of injuries in the Old City, but Palestinian sources reported several people were injured in similar protests that were dispersed by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and Hebron.

In a Gaza prayer session dedicated to the memory of those killed in recent days in Egypt, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh noted that his organization does not operate in Egypt or the Sinai Peninsula, according to Israel Radio.

A Palestinian child kisses a poster bearing the image of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi at a protest on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, on Friday (photo credit: Sliman Khader/Flash90)

Several Arab media outlets reported that dozens of people had been killed across Egypt as of evening Friday, while official sources maintained that the number of dead was actually 12.

Muslim Brotherhood sources reported that at least 30 people were killed in Cairo alone on Friday, with violent protests raging in several cities.

The Muslim Brotherhood had called on supporters across Egypt to go out into the streets after Friday prayers and protest against the military and interim government.