Thousands of illegal Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli police, stormed the old city of Jerusalem on Wednesday, as they commenced the annual “Flag March” to mark Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967.
The head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, has said the “rampages” by far-right Jewish settlers through East Jerusalem confirmed that the city is “the focal point” of the struggle in occupied Palestine.
“The settlers’ rampages in Al-Quds confirm that Al-Quds is the focal point of the struggle,” Haniyeh said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our people will not rest until the occupation leaves and the independent Palestinian state is established with Al-Quds as its capital,” Haniyeh said in a statement on Wednesday.
Thousands of illegal Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli police, stormed the old city of Jerusalem on Wednesday, as they commenced the annual “Flag March” to mark Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967.
‘May Your Village Burn’
Dancing and waving Israeli flags, the demonstrators chanted “Death to Arabs” and “May your village burn,” as they attacked local Palestinians, journalists, as well as shops along the route, according to reports.
According to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, several government and cabinet ministers participated in the procession including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu.
In a fiery speech to the crowd, Ben-Gvir said, according to The Times of Israel: “The Damascus Gate is ours. The Temple Mount is ours. And God willing complete victory is ours,” referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
השר בן גביר בשער שכם בירושלים:
״חזרתי לכאן בשביל דבר אחד להעביר מסר לחמאס ולכל בית בעזה ובצפון – יש תמונות של הר הבית ויש תמונות של ירושלים, ואנחנו אומרים להם ירושלים שלנו. שער שכם שלנו. הר הבית שלנו.
היום, כפי המדיניות שלי נכנסו לעיר העתיקה יהודים בתנועה חופשית. ובהר הבית… pic.twitter.com/aNAZY8Fw4v
— חזקי ברוך (@HezkeiB) June 5, 2024
According to WAFA, Ben-Gvir declared at a press conference following the march, “We succeeded in changing the status quo in Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque today.”
“Today, according to my policy, Jews entered the Old City freely. And on the Temple Mount Jews prayed freely. We say in the simplest way, it’s ours,” he said.
The Palestinian Governorate of Jerusalem responded to Ben-Gvir’s statement, asserting that it “is further evidence of the Netanyahu government’s insistence on altering the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem.”
Journalists Attacked
WAFA said some of the settlers were reportedly armed, and clashes occurred resulting in several injuries.
The Israeli occupation authorities turned occupied Jerusalem and its Old City into a military barracks from Tuesday, under the pretext of protecting the “flag march”.
On Wednesday morning, hundreds of settlers stormed into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, just before the start of the march.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the attacks on journalists during the march.
Students in a religious school went to the neighborhoods of Old Jerusalem with to attack #Palestinians before the start of their stupid flag march, and they attacked the Palestinian journalist Saif Al-Qawasmi
This is are the innocent #Israeli civilians pic.twitter.com/j2DdGZaYPM pic.twitter.com/DkDQPh5nio
— Belkisse Rym Ennada khettache بلقيس ريم الندى ختاش (@Belkissek) June 5, 2024
WAFA reported that according to Dyala Jweihan, a photojournalist, the marchers attacked media personnel, beating them with sticks and hurling stones at them after police prevented them from standing at their designated place.
Among the assaulted media personnel were Saif al-Qawasmi, Layali Abu Eid and Ghassan Abu Eid.
In footage shared on social media and by news organizations, al-Qawasmi is seen surrounded by a mob who attacked him, kicking, punching and beating him. According to reports, al-Qawasmi was then arrested by occupation police.
‘Illegal Measures’ – OIC
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the Israeli forces “for its flagrant incursion into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and for allowing extremist settler groups to organize a provocative procession in the old districts of the occupied Al-Quds.”
In a statement on Thursday, the OIC reiterated “that Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the capital of the State of Palestine, is an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.”
The OIC said it “renewed its rejection of measures or decisions aimed at forcing the so-called Israeli sovereignty on the city and its holy sites. The OIC considered such measures illegal and illegitimate under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.”
OIC Condemns Al-Aqsa Mosque Incursion and Israeli Occupation Allowing Extremists’ March in Occupied Al-Quds
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (#OIC) strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces for its flagrant incursion into the blessed… pic.twitter.com/pEZFH1hLmC
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) June 6, 2024
The organization called on the international community “to assume its responsibility and put pressure on Israel, the occupying power, to stop the violence and organized terrorism perpetrated by the extremist settler groups and Israeli occupation forces throughout the Gaza Strip.”
Haniyeh meanwhile also said, “The movement and the resistance factions will approach any agreement seriously and positively, based on a comprehensive cessation of aggression, complete withdrawal, and the exchange of prisoners.”
“The Hamas movement is conducting the negotiations armed with this position, which represents the will of our people and their valiant resistance,” he added.
(PC, WAFA, MEMO)
Thick-faced illegal settlers squatters protected by thick faced Israeli soldiers. What a big big shame to the world and students of history! This kind of unlawful and laughable claims fall flat on these looters and thieves of Palestinian land and properties. Better go back to where you came from your Nazi roots in Europe and USA and elsewhere but not make trouble and arrogance in Palestine.
So the Israelis have entrenched Kristallnacht as their inspiration? That’s what it reads like to me. Just like the Israeli settler’s behaviour on the West Bank is so very reminiscent of the Crusaders in the Rhineland burning and massacring German Jews, screaming “God wills it!” Israel is Jewish people becoming what they hate in others.