Hundreds of refugees, police officers injured

Several of the injured are police officers. Some are wounded by gunshots.

"At this hour, the police and Border Police forces continue to act against lawbreakers in the Tel Aviv area to stop the violence and disturbances," Israel Police said in a statement.

Sheba Medical Center declared a mass casualty incident, as 24 injured individuals were brought to the hospital. Among them, 22 were in stable condition and two were in critical condition and received treatment in the intensive care unit. One of them is unconscious and intubated, Sheba said.

Another five victims arrived at Shamir Medical Center, including four in stable condition and one in moderate condition. At Wolfson Medical Center, 22 people were admitted, among them nine police officers, all of whom were in light condition.

Finally, Sourasky Medical Center was reporting 38 injured, among them 12 in serious condition.

The protests started in northern Tel Aviv and continued into southern neighborhoods throughout the afternoon. The Eritreans were shouting, waving sticks and throwing stones to protest their government and a cultural event it was hosting in the city.

The Eritrean embassy offered an event at a Yad Harutzim Street venue where protesters showed up. The Hebrew website Ynet reported that they caused extensive damage to the building, including setting it on fire. Police were forced to use stun grenades against protestors as the crowd grew more prominent.

There were similar protests worldwide last month, including in Sweden, Canada and the United States.

By mid-day Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was being updated on the situation.

Police Commissioner Ya'akov Shabtai is expected to hold a situation assessment with  Tel Aviv district commander Superintendent Peretz Amar.