On Friday, while hundreds of Palestinian Muslims were peacefully practicing their faith at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al Quds (Jerusalem) Israeli security forces stormed the holy site, violating its sanctity, and injuring more than 150 worshippers.
Stun grenades, tear gas, and rubber and metal bullets were fired on the worshippers inside the mosque. The Palestinian Red Crescent in Al Quds reported that its teams dealt with 153 injuries in the confrontations that took place inside the courtyards of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palestinian organization noted that a number of attacks on its crews were recorded, including impeding access to the injured, direct attacks on them, and attacking ambulances.
The dramatic rise in repression comes as Israel intensifies its crackdown against the Palestinians in the West Bank. Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said that Israeli forces have significantly escalated the killing and repression of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the past several days, following a green light from the political officials in Israel. Euro-Med's field team documented the killing of 18 Palestinians in the first half of this month, most of whom died following statements by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on April 8, granting a mandate to the Israeli army to wage an unrelenting war on what was he described as terrorism, Palestine’s official news agency WAFA reported.
The escalation of repression against Palestinians along with the desecration of sanctities in Jerusalem by Israeli forces has elicited strong criticisms against Israel. Resistance groups in the West Asia region denounced Israel’s aggression in unison. Several countries in the region and beyond condemned Israel for violating the sanctity of holy sites in Jerusalem.
Iran strongly denounced Israel’s aggression. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has paid tribute to all martyrs of Palestine and resistance in a telephone conversation with Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Political Bureau of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas.
Also, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has strongly condemned the Zionists’ shameless desecration of the sacred places in Palestine during the holy month of Ramadan and their raid on fasting worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque. Khatibzadeh warned against the continuation of brutal and terrorist acts of the occupiers in al-Quds and occupied Palestine.
Jordan strongly condemned Israel’s grave violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling on Israel to immediately withdraw its security forces from the holy mosque.
Notably, even countries that recently normalized or restored ties with Israel couldn’t turn a blind eye to what was happening in Jerusalem. Turkey, which has begun embracing Israel, said in a statement, “We find unacceptable and strongly condemn that Israeli security forces have caused the death of seven Palestinian civilians, including a child, in several cities in Palestine, Jenin in particular, and inflicted injuries during their intervention to the Muslims present in Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers.”
The United Arab Emirates “strongly condemned” Israeli forces' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Bahrain took a similar stance, saying in a statement that it “condemned the Israeli police’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, and the resulting acts of violence, injury and arrest of dozens of worshippers, which acts as a provocation to Muslims, especially in the holy month of Ramadhan.”
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland also expressed concerns about the violence in Jerusalem. Israel’s violence also worried the European Union. “The European Union follows with deep concern the latest upsurge in violence across the occupied West Bank, including in East Jerusalem and the clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday morning. Violence needs to stop immediately. Further civilian casualties must be prevented as a priority. The status quo of the holy sites must be fully respected,” it said in a statement.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the international denunciation of Israel’s violence. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the positions of the countries that have expressed their condemnation and denunciation of the dreadful Israeli assault against the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and the worshippers and which held the Israeli government responsible for this aggression and its dangerous consequences on the conflict, and demanded to stop it immediately,” it said in a statement, according to WAFA.
First published in Tehran Times
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