In pictures: Clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Clashes broke out on Sunday morning in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque after the occupation Special Forces broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque. Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that the occupation Special Forces raided Al-Aqsa through three gates (Hutta, Dung and Al-Silsileh) and randomly fired sound grenades and rubber bullets towards the Muslim worshippers. The forces also closed Al-Aqsa gates except for Al-Silsileh, Hutta and Al-Majles gates and established iron barriers on the gates and the roads leading to them. The forces also closed Al-Qibli Mosque with iron chains and surrounded the worshippers inside the Mosque who were able to stay in since Saturday night in response to the calls of Jewish extremist groups called “Alleged Temple Organizations” to break into the Mosque on the anniversary of the so-called “Destruction of the Temple”. The forces raided Al-Qibli Mosque and clashes broke inside it between the young men and occupation forces that fired grenades and rubber bullets towards them. They also sprayed them with pepper gas and threw the Holy Quran on the ground and deliberately damaged some of the Mosque’s facilities. The occupation authorities imposed restrictions on the entrance of Muslim worshippers to the Mosque since Sunday early morning and prevented men under the age of 50 from entering and forced them to pray at Al-Aqsa Gates. Around 7 a.m. the forces prevented all Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa and established iron barriers on its gates. Settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque through Dung Gate and carried out a tour into its courtyards; note that among them was the Israeli Minister of Agriculture, Uri Ariel. According to the information available to Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a group of Muslim worshippers were injured with rubber bullets and other suffocated. The forces attacked Al-Aqsa guards several times and forced them to stay away. They also assaulted the worshippers and pushed them. The forces arrested one of Al-Aqsa guards, Um Riyad Sharabati, after assaulting her while doing her work. The forces also arrested the 14-year old Anas Mohammad Abu Hummos when he was near Al-Silsileh Gate and assaulted him during the arrest; he is detained in Al-Silsileh Gate police station. Summary of events:
- At 10:45 a.m. the armed occupation forces withdrew from Al-Aqsa courtyards after three and a half hours of clashes.
- Nearly 253 settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque including the Israeli Minster of Agriculture (Uri Ariel) while Al-Aqsa was closed for Muslims.
- The occupation forces caused big damages inside Al-Qibli Mosque and heavily fired sound grenades, rubber bullets and tear-gas grenades inside it.
- Al-Aqsa Gates witnesses a high state of tension after dozens of Muslims were prevented from entering Al-Aqsa especially at Al-Silsileh Gate. The forces assaulted everybody near the gate and injured some of them with bruises.
