158 Palestinians were injured as a result of the conflict between Palestinians and Israeli police in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City.
A recent fight between Palestine and Israeli forces has led to a chaotic situation in Israel and parts of the West Bank. The amount of violence in the occupied areas is continuously increasing. There is a fear that the minor clash may soon turn into a wider conflict. Reports suggest that on Friday, during the Morning Prayer, thousands of worshippers visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Just moments later, Israeli forces raided the place and 158 Palestinians were injured. The medical authorities claim that the injury marks were caused by rubber bullets, stun grenades, and beatings with police batons.
Videos circulating on social media also exhibit how Palestinians were throwing rocks at the Israeli forces. Palestinians consider this the most serious clash between Palestinians and Israelis in nearly a year. They view any significant deployment of the Israeli military in close proximity to their sacred place as a provocation.
Most of the injured were moved to the nearby hospitals, said the Red Crescent Emergency Service of Palestine. The officials reported that the raid was so brutal that one of the guards was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet. Further, the Israeli forces were hindering the entry of ambulances into the mosque too. Thus, several people were injured and trapped inside the mosque for hours.
Global condemnation
The Israeli act of raiding the Al-Aqsa Mosque has brought worldwide condemnation. The neighbouring countries of Israel are criticizing the police’s move. Israel’s neighbour, Jordan, which has control over some parts of Jerusalem, has also condemned the attack. On the other hand, Egypt has also expressed grief over the unfortunate situation in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Israeli Public Security Minister, Omer Barlev, who had control over the Israeli police force, justified the attack on the worshippers. He said that the Israeli police had no intention of shooting at the worshippers, but the “Palestinians started throwing rocks at us”. Thus, the police had no other choice but to use violent elements to control the irrupting chaos in the mosque.
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Increasing disruption in the nation
Since March 22, Israel has witnessed four attacks by the Palestinians in four cities. The attacks have killed 14 Israelis and 16 Palestinians. In response to this, Israel has tightened security in Palestinian towns and villages. This has increased the clashes between the police force and the Palestinians. The Israeli forces have made several arrests of Palestinians.
According to the reports, Palestinians from the West Bank carried out two out of four attacks in Israeli cities. The attacks occurred in the cities of Tel-Aviv and Bnei Brak. On the other hand, ISIS is alleged to have executed the other two attacks earlier.
Why are the Palestinians attacking Israeli cities?
Palestinians claim that the recent attacks are in response to Israel’s oppressive policies toward them. Further, Palestinians also accuse Israel of continuously occupying Palestinian territories. Israel is also accused of occupying weak Palestinian leadership forcefully. Awad Abdelfattah, a political analyst based in Galilee, said, “These are individual assaults that began in 2015. They arise as a consequence of the Palestinian leadership’s failure to lead
a popular and forceful movement. At this point, the option is individual assaults, which will continue and intensify at a quicker rate than previously. “
Last year, attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque following the month of Ramadan resulted in a huge attack on Israel. Furthermore, Israel has repeatedly attempted to evict Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem. This led to rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip into the Israeli territory. Furthermore, it escalated to an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The conflict killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children and 12 Israelis.
The Palestinian response to the recent raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque
In a recent statement, the Palestinian government warned Israeli officials about the Al-Aqsa raid. The Palestinian Presidency said, “The storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli police was a “dangerous development” and “a declaration of war.” Further, the Palestinians have called on the international community to end the Israeli aggression. Palestinian officials have stated that they will not allow Israel and the Jewish population to take over their holy land.
On the other hand, the Hamas group has also called on the Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel to stand against the Israeli occupation in unity.
Published by : Gargi Sharma
Edited by : Aaradhana singh
