Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early Wednesday, firing stun grenades at Palestinians who hurled stones and firecrackers in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Palestinian militants in Gaza responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes.
The fighting, which comes as Muslims mark the holiday month of Ramadan and Jews prepare to begin the Passover festival, raised fears of a wider conflagration. By early morning, the Jerusalem compound, which is typically packed with worshippers during Ramadan, had quieted down.
People who were detained at the compound and later released said police used batons, chairs, rifles and whatever else they could find to strike Palestinians, including women and children, who responded by hurling stones and setting off firecrackers that they'd brought to evening prayers for fear of possible clashes. Outside the mosque’s gate, police dispersed crowds of young men with stun grenades and rubber bullets.
Amin Risheq, a 19-year-old from east Jerusalem, lifted his bloodied shirt to show his worried mother red blotches all over his back and his bandaged arm, which he said was struck by a tear gas canister. Israel bars ritual slaughter on the site, but calls by Jewish extremists to revive the practice, including offers of cash rewards to anyone who even attempts to bring an animal into the compound, have amplified fears among Muslims that Israel is plotting to take over the site.
After some 80,000 worshippers attended evening prayers at the mosque on Tuesday, hundreds of Palestinians barricaded themselves inside overnight to pray. Some said they wanted to ensure religious Jews didn't carry out animal sacrifices. After they refused to leave, Israeli police moved into the mosque.
In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian leadership denounced the attack on the worshippers as a violation that “will lead to a large explosion.” The foreign ministries of Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia also condemned what they described as the Israeli raid into Al-Aqsa, as did the Jordan-controlled Islamic trust that administers the site, known as the Waqf.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israeli police attack worshippers in Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa, Gaza launches rockets at IsraelThe Palestinian Red Crescent said seven Palestinians sustained wounds from rubber-tipped bullets and beatings in clashes with Israeli police
Read more »
Israeli police clash with worshippers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa MosqueIsraeli police raided Al\u002DAqsa Mosque in Jerusalem\u0027s Old City early Wednesday and attacked worshippers, Palestinian media reported.
Read more »
Israeli police attack worshippers in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa, Gaza launches rockets at IsraelJERUSALEM — Israeli police attacked dozens of worshippers in Jerusalem’s Al\u002DAqsa Mosque compound before dawn on Wednesday, witnesses said, in what Israeli…
Read more »
Israeli police raid Jerusalem holy site, clash with Palestinian worshippers - National | Globalnews.caThe incidents sparked a wave of Palestinian protests, condemnations and violence as sirens warning of incoming rockets sounded in Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip.
Read more »
Israeli police clash with worshipers at Jerusalem holy siteIsraeli police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City early Wednesday and attacked Palestinian worshippers, Palestinian media reported, raising fears of wider tensions as Islamic and Jewish holidays overlap.
Read more »
Violence at holy Jerusalem site raises tension over holidaysIsraeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City early Wednesday, firing stun grenades at Palestinians who hurled stones and firecrackers in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Palestinian militants in Gaza responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes.
Read more »