In pictures: Jewish holidays…a chance to abuse Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Jewish holidays turned into a chance to assault Al-Aqsa Mosque and violate its sanctity through raids carried out by armed occupation forces that clear the path for settlers’ break-ins concurrently with preventing Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa and completely closing it. Wadi Hilweh Information Center-Silwan monitored the events that occurred at Al-Aqsa Mosque as follows:
- At 6:45 a.m. Al-Aqsa Mosque was subject for a new series of raids. More than 150 Special Forces, Intelligence personnel, officers and snipers raided Al-Aqsa through Dung Gate and Al-Silsileh Gate and attacked the worshippers in the courtyards with sound grenades and rubber bullets. Within minutes, the forces closed the gates of Al-Qibali Mosque with wood poles and iron pieces.
- The forces attacked the worshipers in Al-Aqsa courtyards (elderly and women) with batons, sound grenades and rubber bullets. They evacuated the courtyards from worshippers after following and forcing them to leave through Hutta Gate.
- The forces surrounded the young men staying inside Al-Qibali Mosque and detained them inside from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. and heavily fired sound grenades and rubber bullets towards them in addition to spraying them with pepper gas.
- The snipers unit went on the rood of Al-Qibali Mosque and broke the windows and marble and also fired rubber bullets towards the young men.
- Special units used iron tools and Oxygen to cut the iron bars from the windows of Al-Qibali Mosque on the eastern side.
- A Special Forces unit used armored gear while raiding Al-Aqsa Mosque in an attempt to raid Al-Qibali Mosque through the funeral’s chapel.
- Around 11 a.m. the forces withdrew from in front of Al-Qibali Mosque but were deployed in the eastern side of the Al-Aqsa (area with trees across from Al-Marwani chapel) in an attempt to ambush young men and arrest them but also withdrew from the area through Hutta Gate after nearly 45 minutes.
- Snipers were stationed on the roof of Al-Qibali Mosque until 12 p.m.
- At 1:30 p.m. the Special Forces personnel raided Al-Aqsa Mosque again to secure the settlers’ break-ins.
- During the morning and evening break-in session, 43 settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque (29 in the morning and 15in the evening) on occasion of “Sukkot” holiday.
- 12 young men were injured during the clashes at Al-Qibali Mosque; one with a rubber bullet in his mouth.
- Four elderly were injured after being assaulted with batons and many other suffocated and suffered burns due to being sprayed with pepper gas.
- Al-Aqsa gates were closed except for Hutta and Al-Majles gates.
- Dawn Prayer…those under the age of 50 were prevented from entering and Al-Aqsa was completely closed at 7 a.m. and only employees of the Islamic Awqaf department were allowed in after checking their IDs.
- Dozens of young men performed that all five prayers at Al-Aqsa gates.
- The occupation prevented students of Al-Aqsa Boys School and kindergarten children from entering Al-Aqsa and disrupted education in both schools.
- The students of Al-Aqsa Girls School were able to get to their school after 8:30 a.m.
- The occupation deliberately evacuated the markets adjacent to Al-Aqsa gates from any worshippers who were prevented from entering Al-Aqsa earlier. They prevented them from being near Al-Silsileh Gate and chased them by Al-Qataneen Gate until Al-Majles Gate and Al-Wad Street all the way to Lions Gate where they were forced to exit. Meanwhile, Palestinians were also assaulted with pushing and sound grenades.
- The forces raided commercial stores and prevented citizens from staying inside.
- The forces also assaulted press crews with pushing and sound grenades and injured many of them with bruises. The journalist photographer Rami Khatib was injured with shrapnel of a sound grenade in his leg.
- Nine injuries were recorded at Al-Aqsa gates in which two of them were transferred to the hospital.
- The forces arrested six young men: Thaer Zghayyar, Ahmad Rukon, Mahmoud Abu Taleb, Hamdan Abu Shamsieh, Abdullah Saeed, Jihad Bdeir and Hijazi Abu Sbeih.
- The occupation authorities deported four young men from the city of Jerusalem for two weeks. They are: Mohammad Milawi, Mus’ab Ighbaryeh, Fadi Za’eer and Sheikh Hasan Walid; note that they are from the 1948 lands.
