UPDATES:
Red Crescent: Seven Palestinians reportedly wounded in Israeli attack on Palestinian worshipers in Jerusalem.
Al Jazeera: Over 400 Palestinians arrested by Israeli soldiers.
Israeli Media: 10 rockets fired towards Israel from besieged Gaza.
Israeli occupation forces have reportedly attacked and forcefully evicted Muslim worshipers from Al-Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, leading to many injuries and arrests.
After smashing windows in the Mosque, the occupation troops fired stun grenades before storming the holy shrines, beating up people and handcuffing worshipers.
Palestinians quickly mobilized, especially as mosques in Jerusalem called general mobilization to shield the worshipers entrapped in the Mosque and to allow for medics to reach the wounded.
The Red Crescent in Jerusalem has also raised the level of alert to ‘maximum level’, calling on all of its crews and volunteers to join the rescue efforts.
Israeli media, citing Israeli police sources, said that dozens of Palestinians were arrested from inside the Mosque.
Shocking eye-witness footage from inside Al Aqsa mosque showing the Israeli occupation forces mercilessly attacking Palestinian Muslims tonight for practicing “Itikaf”, a traditional night-time #ramadan ritual @tariqahmadbt @FCDOArabic @JamesCleverly @FCDOGovUK @FCDOHumanRights pic.twitter.com/l2eaF4sW5y
— Palestine in the UK (@PalMissionUK) April 4, 2023
Wide Condemnation
The Palestinian Authority condemns what it describes as an infringement on the sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and warned Israel against crossing “the red lines”.
“We hold the occupation government fully responsible for any deterioration, and it must stop the tampering that will have dangerous consequences,” the office of Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement.
For his part, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniya called “on the masses of our people in the West Bank and 48 (historic Palestine, today’s Israel) to go to Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect it.”
Haniyeh added, “Everyone must bear responsibility, Palestinian and Arab, for what is happening in Al-Aqsa Mosque,” describing what is happening as “an unprecedented crime that has its aftermath.”
In the same context, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Ziyad al-Nakhala, said, “what is happening in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is a serious threat to our sanctities,” adding, “The Palestinian people must be present with all its components for the inevitable confrontation in the coming days.”
Scenes from inside Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, right now!https://t.co/jce5nHwrer pic.twitter.com/XBb6G5oYvw
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) April 4, 2023
‘Dangerous Escalation’
In turn, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its assault on it and the worshipers, considering it a flagrant violation and an unacceptable act.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry warned Israel “of the consequences of the dangerous escalation,” and held it “responsible for what befalls the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,” considering that Tel Aviv bears responsibility for the dangerous consequences of the escalation, which may undermine efforts to achieve calm and stop violence.
BREAKING 🚨 Israel Occupation storms Al Aqsa and beats Muslim worshippers
⚠️ This is a developing story. pic.twitter.com/YHP6zR9i2f
— Muslim (@Muslim) April 4, 2023
Protests
Following the Israeli attack, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, Nablus and other Palestinian cities and towns in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza took to the streets in spontaneous protests demanding mass mobilization against Israel.
Meanwhile the Israeli Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that several rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel. No injuries were reported.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
