Israeli Forces Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sparking Outrage and Concern Worldwide
Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday night after Ramadan prayers, forcibly evicting worshippers and sparking clashes with Palestinians. According to Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Qibli prayer hall at Al-Aqsa Mosque and forced dozens of people praying inside to leave at gunpoint to allow settlers to storm the Muslim holy site. In conjunction with the settlers' invasion, Israeli forces entered the mosque's prayer hall after Ramadan's Taraweeh prayers and expelled worshippers who refused to leave. Footage published by Palestinian media showed police officers hitting Palestinians in the building with chairs and batons and arresting many of them. Videos from inside the mosque showed Israeli officers repeatedly hitting people with batons while cries for help from women and children could be heard in the background.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhala warned of further clashes early Wednesday morning, saying “What is happening in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque constitutes a serious threat to our sanctities, and the Palestinian people must be present with all its components for the inevitable confrontation in the coming days.”[0] The Hamas movement also issued a statement warning the occupation against committing foolish actions that affect Al-Aqsa Mosque, and called on the struggling Palestinian people to mobilize, raise the level of readiness, tighten the journey, intensify the bond, and retreat in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and repel the occupation's aggression and thwart the plans of its terrorist settlers.[1]
The events at Al-Aqsa Mosque have sparked outrage and concern from around the world. The Palestinian presidency said early this morning that the Israeli escalation in Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, one of the holiest Muslim sites, could lead to an explosion in the situation on the ground. The Hamas movement stated that the insistence of the Israeli occupation on storming Al-Aqsa mosque will lead to an explosive situation. Meanwhile, Jewish rabbis have demanded permission to slaughter animal sacrifices at Al-Aqsa, further inflaming tensions.[2]
The situation at Al-Aqsa Mosque highlights the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over the land, with both claiming it as their own. The mosque sits on a site that is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint for violence in the past. The latest clashes have raised concerns of further escalation and violence in the region. Calls for Arab states to urgently move in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque have been made, with the hope that regional and international institutions will intervene to prevent the situation from deteriorating any further.
0. “Rockets fired towards southern Israel after clashes in al-Aqsa” The Jerusalem Post, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-736430
1. “Palestine scholars warn of settler aggression at Al-Aqsa” Middle East Monitor, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230404-palestine-scholars-warn-of-settler-aggression-at-al-aqsa
2. “Israel's storming of Al-Aqsa will escalate its religious war –…” Jordan News, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.jordannews.jo/Section-20/Middle-East/Israel-s-storming-of-Al-Aqsa-will-escalate-its-religious-war-Hamas-spokesman-27921
