Breaking into Al-Aqsa and dozens of people suffocate on the day of heading to Al-Aqsa “Nafeer Day”
The Israeli Special Forces raided the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday and surrounded the men and women who were staying at Al-Aqsa in Al-Qibali Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The forces also sprayed them with pepper gas resulting in the suffocation of many citizens. The police announced the arrest of 5 citizens from the old city on charges of throwing stones at them. The Jerusalemite and 1948-lands Marabouts confronted a group of extremists on Wednesday morning who broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque through Dung gate on occasion of the so-called “Hebrew New Year”. Witnesses said that the occupation police let 8 settlers inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque through Dung gate, and the Marabouts started chanting “God is Great” and threw stones towards the settlers which forced the police to immediately escort them outside without completing their tour. Larges Israeli forces were deployed at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and established checkpoints since the early morning hours and prevented men under the age of 50 from entering; they also prevented women and students of Al-Aqsa Schools from entering Al-Aqsa to attend their schools. The students of Al-Aqsa Schools protested at Lions gate against preventing them from getting to their schools. The police also surrounded Al-Qibali Mosque and closed its gates with iron chains and sprayed the Marabouts with pepper spray. Clashes renewed later on in the day in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Special Forces continued to surround the worshippers inside Al-Qibali Mosque and kept on spraying them with pepper spray which led to the injury of three women. Gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque (Hutta, Lions, and Majles) witnessed clashes using hands between the young men and the Israeli forces, a result of the Israeli limitations on people entering Al-Aqsa. Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that 70 citizens suffocated in which 15 were severely injured and the police refused to let the ambulance crews get to the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque to treat the injured.
