Muslims under attack: Israeli police storm Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan Clash with Worshippers
Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem overnight Tuesday, arresting hundreds of Palestinians and injuring dozens more amid high tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday.
Israeli forces’ aggression and vandalism of Al-Aqsa mosque in the holy month of Ramadan is apathetic.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam. It has been a frequent flashpoint for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has sparked cross-border wars between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers in the past.
Palestinian officials and witnesses accused the Israeli forces of using excessive force and assaulting worshippers who were peacefully praying at the mosque. They said that at least 12 people were wounded by rubber-tipped bullets and beatings and that Israeli police prevented medical teams from reaching the injured.
The Palestinian Authority’s spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, warned Israel “against crossing red lines at holy sites, which will lead to a big explosion.” He said that Israel was fully responsible for any escalation and urged it to “stop this absurdity, which will have dangerous consequences for everyone.”
Jordan, which oversees the Islamic trust that administers the holy site, condemned the Israeli police raid as a “storming” of the mosque and a violation of international law. It called on Israel to “immediately withdraw its police and special forces from the compound” and respect the rights of Muslim worshippers.
The clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque come amid rising tensions in Jerusalem over Israeli settlement expansion, evictions of Palestinian families, and restrictions on access to holy sites.
