Hamas says it's preparing for another battle with Israel

Al-Qassam Brigades, the Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing, said Wednesday that it was preparing and equipping itself for another big conflict with Israel.

"We prepare and equip for a bigger victory than the victory in the last battle through out an upcoming battle that will be the toughest and the hardest in the history of the Zionist enemy (Israel)," Xinhua quoted an emailed statement as stating.

On July 8, Israel waged a large-scale air and ground military operation on the Gaza Strip and its Hamas-led militant groups, which lasted for 50 days and left 2,150 Palestinians and 70 Israelis dead and more than 11,000 wounded.

"The enemy will pay a heavy price for its criminal practices which aim at Judaizing Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem," the statement said.

Early Wednesday, around 50 Palestinians were injured after clashes broke out between Palestinian prayers and Israeli police forces at the yard of al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city in east Jerusalem.

Witnesses said the police forces also arrested five prayers and fired dozens of tear gas and rubber bullets at dozens of prayers who threw stones at the police. The clashes erupted after the police prevented prayers under the age of 50.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier announced that he request an emergency session for the United Nations Security Council to debate on the recent Israeli measures against Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.