[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israeli police clashed with Palestinians again at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday, witnesses said, hours after arresting and removing more than 350 people in a police raid at the compound and despite a US appeal to calm tensions.
The clashes, which occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Jewish Passover holiday, sparked a cross-border exchange of fire in Gaza, fueling fears of further conflict.
In the second incident, late at night, police entered the compound and attempted to evacuate worshippers by using stun grenades and rubber bullets, according to Waqf staff, the Jordanian-appointed Islamic organisation that manages the complex.
According to witnesses, worshippers threw objects at police. Six people were injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Also Read: Israeli forces attack worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque raid
According to police, dozens of teenagers brought rocks and firecrackers into the mosque and attempted to barricade themselves inside. According to the Waqf, police entered the mosque before the prayers were finished.
“Israel’s raid into Al-Aqsa mosque, its assault on worshippers, is a slap to recent US efforts to create calm and stability during the month of Ramadan,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Less than 24 hours earlier, police raided the mosque to apprehend masked agitators who had barricaded themselves inside after attempts at dialogue had failed.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 12 Palestinians were injured in the earlier clash, which included rubber-tipped bullets and beatings. According to Israeli police, two officers were injured.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby expressed concern about the mosque violence and stated that Israelis and Palestinians must de-escalate tensions.
Violence spreads to Gaza border
Following the first clash, Palestinian militants fired at least nine rockets into Israel, prompting Israel to launch air strikes against the Islamist group Hamas, which controls the blockaded coastal enclave.
There were no casualties on either side of the Gaza border. The rocket attacks were not claimed by Hamas, but were in response to the raid on Al-Aqsa, where clashes in 2021 triggered a 10-day war with Gaza.
Two more rockets were fired from Gaza just before the second Al-Aqsa clash. According to the Israeli military, one fell short and the other in an open area.
“We do not want an escalation, but we are prepared for any scenario,” said Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari earlier in the day.
Tens of thousands of people pray at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem’s Old City during Ramadan. It is also the most sacred site in Judaism, revered as Temple Mount, a relic of the two biblical Jewish temples.
Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, blamed the situation on “extremists” who barricaded themselves inside the mosque with weapons, stones, and fireworks.
“Israel is committed to maintaining freedom of worship, free access to all religions, and the status quo on the Temple Mount,” he said in a statement.
Under a longstanding “status quo” arrangement governing the compound, non-Muslims can visit but only Muslims may worship. Some Jewish visitors have increasingly prayed there despite that arrangement.
The Waqf described the police actions as a “flagrant assault on the identity and the function of the mosque as a place of worship for Muslims alone”.
UN calls for easing of tensions
“Leaders on all sides must act responsibly and avoid actions that could escalate tensions,” said Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
Following an emergency meeting, the Arab League condemned the raid and stated that it jeopardised regional stability.
According to diplomats, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China requested that the 15-member United Nations Security Council meet behind closed doors on Thursday to discuss the situation.
The UAE’s foreign ministry also stated that “worshippers should not use weapons and explosives to barricade themselves inside mosques and places of worship.”
Jordan and Egypt, both of which are involved in US-backed efforts to de-escalate Israeli-Palestinian tensions, as well as Turkey, condemned the incident. Israel’s “storming” of Al-Aqsa undermined peace efforts, according to Saudi Arabia, with which Israel hopes to normalise relations.
According to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, “Israel’s aggression against the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound is an egregious assault on Palestinians’ basic right to worship freely in their holy site.” Thousands marched in Gaza in protest.
With Israel still reeling from weeks of protests over Netanyahu’s plans to limit the Supreme Court’s powers, the incident heightened an already tense political atmosphere.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right police minister, has called for a harsh response. “More than just blasting dunes and empty sites are required for Hamas rockets. It’s time to sever heads in Gaza “He stated this in a tweet.
According to the military, Palestinian protesters in the West Bank town of Beit Ummar burned tyres and threw rocks and explosive devices at Israeli soldiers, one of whom was shot and injured.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
