Israel considers deporting 1,000 Eritreans involved in clashes which left over 150 people wounded

A day after more than 150 people wereinjured due toviolent clashesin Israel's Tel Aviv between Eritrean government supporters celebrating an Eritrea Day event and opponents of President Isaias Afwerki,Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday (September 3) said Israel isconsidering deporting 1,000 Eritreans who participated in the "riots".

A report by the Times of Israel early Sunday said that a police officerwas in serious condition after doctors removed part of a camping stove from his head which was apparently thrown at him.

The officer was hospitalisedat Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, and he was among the 50 officers who were injured during the clashes thatbroke out during an event organised by the Eritrean embassy to mark Revolution Day.

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Earlier, Israeli medical officials said that over 114 people had been treated for injuries, including about 30 police officers. Police fired stun grenades to break up the clashes, while some protesters hurled stones at police and set fire to trash bins. Videos shared on social media showed Eritrean government supporters beating anti-government protesters.

Israeli PM about the violence in Tel Aviv

A day after the violent clashes broke out in the Israeli financial capital, the Israeli PM said that the protesters hadcrossed a "red line". "At the special ministerial committee I established today, we asked for a few swift measures, including expelling a thousand regime supporters who took part in these riots," Netanyahu said, in a statement.

He added, "They cannot of course claim to be refugees. They support this regime. If they support it so much, they can return to the country of their origin."

Police arrest 39 suspects for assaulting officers

Citing police, a report by the news agency AFP said that 39 suspects were arrested for assaulting and throwing stones at the officers. Some of these suspects were carrying "weapons, tear gas, and an electrical stun gun." The Police further said they were reinforcing their personnel in Tel Aviv.

Eritrea has been led by authoritarian President Isaias Afwerki since its formal declaration of independence in 1993. Being one of the most isolated sites in the world, Eritrea is near the bottom of the global rankings for press freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and economic development.

According to Assaf, an organisation that aids refugees, around 25,500 Eritrean asylum seekers currently live in Israel. Most of these asylum-seekers fled to Israel over its border with Egypt. They have said they will face persecution if they are repatriated.

(With inputs from agencies)

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