OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Several Palestinians including women and children were injured when Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday night.
The incident sparked protests across the occupied West Bank and the Israeli military said nine rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel after sirens blared in southern towns.
https://twitter.com/plespost/status/1643447372897189888
According to reports gathered from multiple media sources, Israeli forces forcibly removed Palestinian worshippers from the site where they were peacefully observing the holy month of Ramadan. Dozens of heavily armed officers stormed the site before firing tear gas and stun grenades into the Qibli prayer hall – the building with the silver dome – where hundreds of men, women, elderly people, and children were staying overnight to pray.
???? شاهد| آثار عدوان الاحتلال الإسرائيلي على #المسجد_الأقصى المبارك. pic.twitter.com/kJhEfT8Gk1
— وكالة سند للأنباء – Snd News Agency (@Snd_pal) April 5, 2023
Some eyewitnesses alleged that rubber-coated steel bullets were also fired. Locals said Israeli officers then beat worshippers with batons and riot guns, wounding many before arresting them. Videos from inside the mosque showed Israeli officers repeatedly hitting people with batons while they appeared to lie on the floor. Cries for help from women and children could be heard in the background.
#شاهد.. هتافات المصلين بعد صلاة الفجر في المسجد الأقصى pic.twitter.com/RkHMLy1Rx1
— أخبار فلسطين ???????? (@mo1ak23) April 5, 2023
Palestinian groups condemned Israel’s attacks on worshippers, which they described as a crime. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said it received multiple reports of injuries at Al-Aqsa Mosque but has not been able to estimate the number of casualties as Israeli forces continue to block medics from reaching the wounded.
https://twitter.com/WANbreaking/status/1643447968677216258
Israeli police claimed its assault was a response to rioting, but the Palestinian worshipers deny any such claims. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, with calls for an immediate end to the violence.
The situation remains tense, with the Palestinian Authority calling for a general strike in the occupied territories in protest against the violence.
