JERUSALEM — A mass ultra-Orthodox Jewish rally against military conscription turned deadly in Jerusalem on Thursday, when a teenage boy fell to his death during the demonstration which had shut down the main entrance to the city.

Packed crowds of mostly men clogged the roads around the Route 1 highway leading into Jerusalem. Israeli media estimated that around 200,000 people flocked to the rally.

Photos showed some had climbed atop roofs of buildings, a gas station and onto cranes. The Israeli ambulance service said a 15-year-old fell to his death and police said they had opened an investigation into the incident.

Military Exemptions a Hot-Button Issue in Israel

The debate over mandatory military service, and those who are exempt from it, has long caused tensions within Israel’s deeply

See Full Page