AFP, Jerusalem

Thousands of Israelis yesterday started the annual nationalist “flag march” through Jerusalem that regularly stokes Palestinian anger, a year after tensions in the disputed Holy City exploded into war.

Some 2,000 police were deployed for the event that marks Israel’s 1967 capture of east Jerusalem, home of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound located on what Jews revere as the Temple Mount.

Across annexed east Jerusalem, many Palestinian flags flew from rooftops ahead of the “Jerusalem Day” march, which began at 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) in west Jerusalem, with participants heading towards the Old City.

Earlier yesterday, flag-waving Jewish nationalists chanting pro-Israel slogans, among them a far-right lawmaker, visited Al-Aqsa, where Israeli police said several Palestinians threw rocks toward the officers.

Isolated clashes also broke out at the Old City’s Damascus Gate where dozens of Jewish nationalists danced in front of Palestinians, one of whom raised his shoe in an Arab insult.

Police reported more than 20 arrests over “disorderly conduct”.

The march comes a year after tensions and unrest in Jerusalem led the Islamist armed group Hamas to fire rockets at Israel from the blockaded Gaza Strip, triggering an 11-day war.

Hamas warned last week that marchers must not pass through the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, saying it would use all means to confront them.

The route of the march has never included Al-Aqsa, a site which Jewish groups are permitted to visit but where they are not allowed to pray.

Police said that some 2,600 people had ascended to the compound during Sunday’s regular visitation windows -- a figure that is higher than normal and includes tourists.

Some Jews had “violated visitation rules” and several people were detained, police said without providing further details, before the day’s visits concluded.

Most of the international community does not recognise Israeli control over east Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a future state.