Day 42: Al-Aqsa Flood Operation in the city of Jerusalem
On the 42nd day of “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation, the occupation forces suppressed the worshipers at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the streets of Jerusalem, while preventing them from reaching Al-Aqsa to perform Friday prayers there, amid the deployment and intense presence of forces in the streets of the city, its entrances, towns and neighborhoods, and the Jerusalem municipality also forced a Jerusalemite to self-demolish a “residential room”.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem explained that the forces deployed at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City, placed iron barriers on the roads leading to Al-Aqsa and inside the Old City, and prevented entry to the mosque for prayer except for the elderly.
The Islamic Endowments Department explained that 4,000 worshipers performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Information Center explained that Al-Aqsa Mosque was empty of worshipers, except for very small numbers, who were distributed in the mosque’s chapels and courtyards.
The center added that members of the occupation forces at all checkpoints stopped all those arriving to Al-Aqsa, checked their identities, place of residence, and age, and prevented thousands from entering the mosque, in similar measures for the sixth Friday in a row, noting that the number of worshipers at Al-Aqsa was the lowest this week.
The Information Center quoted one of the young worshipers as saying: “There are many checkpoints on the roads leading to Al-Aqsa, and at the gates of the Old City and inside it, all the way to Al-Aqsa gates. If we are allowed to pass through the checkpoints on the roads, we are prevented when we reach Al-Aqsa Gate, we are forcibly removed, and we are even prevented from standing to pray on its thresholds.” "
He added: "There are no specific ages for women and men to enter Al-Aqsa. There is an elderly man aged 75 years who was prevented from entering through Lions Gate and Hutta Gate, and a 50-year-old woman was also prevented from entering. These procedures and restrictions are controlled by police officers."
At Lions Gate - Al-Aqsa Gate and the Old City Gate - members of the occupation forces assaulted, beat and pushed the worshipers as they gathered and attempted to enter the mosque. They also detained a young man at Al-Aqsa Gate and severely beat him.
The center also recorded assaulting a number of worshipers at the gates of Al-Aqsa, after preventing them from entering Al-Aqsa.
In the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood, a few minutes before the call to prayer, the forces suppressed those present. The forces also pursued the gathering of young men and threw gas bombs several times in the streets of the neighborhood, and a wastewater spraying vehicle sprayed water towards the streets and buildings.
One of the young men said: “Every Friday, the forces suppress the youth in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood. We are prevented from reaching Al-Aqsa, and we stand to pray on the asphalt at the nearest point. The forces wait until a few minutes before the call to prayer and spray wastewater on the streets to prevent us from praying.”
He added: "We affirm that we have the right to reach and pray at Al-Aqsa, and if we are prevented, we have the right to pray at the closest point we can reach, despite the oppression, persecution, and threats against us."
In the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood, the forces forcibly removed the young men and pushed some of them, to prevent them from praying in the street, and forced them to pray on the side of the road.
Worshipers also performed prayers inside the Old City and in the Lions' Gate cemetery, in addition to prayers outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Demolition of a residential room
In the Old City, the occupation municipality forced the young man Shadi Al-Ajlouni to self-demolish a “residential room”, under the pretext of building without a permit.
Al-Ajlouni explained that the municipality forced the family about 7 years ago to demolish the same room, and after approaching the municipality, the inspector allowed it to be built and roofed with “reinforced plastic.” After about 3 years of construction, the municipality issued the demolition decision, and demanded that it be implemented, otherwise its crews would do it and he had to pay a “demolition fee” for the municipality and its accompanying crews.
The room has an area of about 40 square meters.
Confrontations
Confrontations broke out in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood, and large forces stormed the neighborhood, sprayed wastewater in the streets and toward homes, and also threw a barrage of gas bombs.
During this, the forces prevented the ambulance from entering and reaching the neighborhood, and attempted to attack its crew.
Raids and arrests
The raids on towns and neighborhoods in Jerusalem continued, flying checkpoints were set up, young men were arrested and IDs were checked, and the siege imposed on the Old City continued, tightening entry procedures and prohibiting sitting in the Damascus Gate area.
Arrests continued in the city, and the center monitored:
1. Photojournalist Abdel-Afou Zghayyar
2. Iyad Salhab
