Ramallah: Scores of Palestinian worshippers, including elderly men and women, were attacked in the Al Aqsa Mosque after an Israeli cabinet minister raided the mosque on the eve of the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah, the director of the mosque said on Wednesday.
A large Israeli military force, including Special Forces soldiers, entered the Al Aqsa Holy Compound on Wednesday. Sources in occupied East Jerusalem told Gulf News that the confrontations were fuelled by the arrival of Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Yehuda Ariel and tens of Israeli colonists.
The group raided the Al Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces but were confronted by Palestinians who were there to observe the first ten days of the Hijri month of Dhu Al Hijjah. At this time, Muslims usually fast and spend most of their time in mosques praying until Waqfa and Eid Al Adha. Sources said that the first day of these holy days seems to coincide with the first day of the Jewish festival, resulting in increased tensions in Al Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli occupation forces sealed the gates of Al Aqsa Mosque with chains to prevent entry and exit to the mosque and attacked Palestinians in all parts of the holy shrine including Al Marwani Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Troops used pepper spray and tear gas after breaking the windows of those two sacred spots. Tens of Palestinians suffered difficulty breathing but were not allowed to get to Al Aqsa Clinic to receive treatment.
Hospitalised
The Israeli military forces were led for the first time by Yitzhak Aharonovitch, Israeli Minister of Internal Security.
The sources said that at least 30 Palestinians who defended Al Aqsa Mosque were hospitalised. Several suffered serious head and chest injuries.
The sources said some of the injured Palestinians needed to be admitted to hospital but the Israeli occupation forces denied them that right. Instead, they remained in Al Aqsa Mosque Clinic.
Shaikh Omar Al Kiswani, the Director-General of Al Aqsa Holy Compound, said that the Israeli occupation forces acted brutally to terrify Palestinians who were praying and force them out of the holy shrine to make room for colonists to enter the mosque.
“The majority of those who were in the mosque were old men, women and students of the Sharia schools based in Al Aqsa Mosque,” he told Gulf News. “The colonists have come to the conclusion that they should be allowed freely into the mosque, especially at the time of their festivals where they should have a natural right to get free access to the holy shrine in the absence of all Muslims.”
Shaikh Al Kiswani said that all Muslims who were in the holy shrine were attacked by the Israeli occupation forces, including the elderly, Al Awqaf employees, the mosque’s guards and doctors and other Al Aqsa Clinic staff.
The Knesset Interior Committee recently recommended that pressure be put on Israeli police and occupation forces to provide maximum security and protection to colonists during their visits to Al Aqsa Holy Compound, especially during Jewish festivals. The committee threatened to summon the Israeli Minister of Internal Security and the Chief of the Israeli Police for questioning about harassment against colonists in the compound and failing to protect them.
