Day 140: Jerusalem during “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation
On the 140th day of "Al-Aqsa Flood Operation", the occupation authorities restricted the entry of worshipers to Al-Aqsa to perform the Friday prayer, assaulted the young men by beating and arresting them, and suppressed the prayers in the streets of Jerusalem.
Checkpoints...the deployment of police officers...the closing of roads with iron fences, this is the case in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa and the Old City of Jerusalem and the neighborhoods close to it, especially "Wadi al-Joz and Ras Al-Amoud", in an ongoing procedure for the 20th Friday in a row, where strict restrictions are imposed on worshipers' entry to Al-Aqsa, and only a small number of worshippers are allowed to enter; mostly the elderly and women.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem monitored the attack on the worshipers in the area of "Lions Gate, the Yusufiya Cemetery Road, Al-Ghazali Square, Al-Mujahideen Road, Al-Silsileh Gate", to keep them away from the vicinity of Al-Aqsa and the Old City on the one hand, and to prevent them from praying at the nearest point they were able to reach on the other hand.
The information center reported from worshipers that the forces beat them with batons after preventing them from entering the mosque to pray in it, and the worshipers, whose ages range from 15 to 55 years old, explained that the forces continue to prevent them from entering Al-Aqsa since October 7th during Fridays and the rest of days of the week.
The worshipers from Jerusalem and the Palestinian 1948 lands said: "The occupation is trying to isolate Al-Aqsa and empty it of worshipers, lucky those who have been able to enter Al-Aqsa during the last four months, thousands are prevented and denied from entering it."
The forces also suppressed the prayers that were held in the streets of Jerusalem, especially in the area of Lions Gate and Al-Silsileh Gate, and chants of “God is Great” were chanted by young men while they were being pursued and prevented from praying, as dozens of the young men were able to pray in the streets.
The forces also carried out various arrests from Jerusalem, especially from the vicinity of Al-Aqsa. Siraj Abu Arafeh, a lawyer for the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem, explained that the forces arrested 10 people, and transferred them to the "Salah al-Din Street and Al-Qishleh" police stations. The detainees were assaulted and beaten, resulting in multiple injuries with various bruises and scratches.
The information center also learned that the police released two young men on the condition that they are deported from the Old City of Jerusalem.