Day 173: Jerusalem during “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation
On the 173rd day of "Al-Aqsa Flood Operation", an armed settler tried to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the settlers demanded that the incursions not be prevented in the last ten days of Ramadan, and a "demonstration" was organized in front of the Palestinian Refugee Relief and Employment Agency "UNRWA" to demand its closure, and the raids on the towns and neighborhoods in the city of Jerusalem continued.
An armed settler tries to storm Al-Aqsa
In the evening hours, at the same time as tens of thousands of worshipers were performing the Taraweeh prayer at Al-Aqsa, an armed settler tried to break into it through Al-Qataneen Gate - one of the gates of Al-Aqsa-, while the Al-Aqsa guards discovered him while walking towards the gate of the mosque after passing the police checkpoints set up in the place.
Incursions into Al-Aqsa and the last ten days of Ramadan
On Wednesday, the Israeli police informed the "organizations and groups of the alleged temple" of their decision to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the face of settlers’ incursions, starting on Thursday and for 16 days.
Meanwhile, the "extremist Temple groups” called to organize a protest demonstration on Thursday, in front of the home of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gavir in the Kiryat Arba’ settlement in Hebron, in protest of the decision to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque for settlers’ incursions starting on Thursday.
According to the call of the demonstration, the "organizations and groups of the temple" demand from the minister Ben Gavir to give the orders to the police to open the mosque in the face of the intrusions by force and to override the decisions of the security services.
Tommy Nisani, the leader of the extremist "Bedino" organization, said that "the government surrendered to the pressure of Hamas", especially since this closure is the longest, compared to the past years in which the mosque was closed in the face of intrusions on the eve of the last ten days of Ramadan and the days of Eid al-Fiter for 12 days in 2023 and 13 days in 2022.
During the blessed month of Ramadan, the break-ins to the Al-Aqsa Mosque are carried out during only one period, the "morning period" from 7 am to 11 am, and the period of break-ins in the afternoon is canceled, and the break-ins are stopped in the last ten days of the month, except for the years that coincide with the Jewish holidays.
On Thursday, 85 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa and performed prayers in its courtyards.
Worshippers continue to flock to Al-Aqsa, to perform prayers, recite the Qur'an and attend religious lessons at Al-Aqsa.
As for those expelled from Al-Aqsa, they performed the Ishaa and Taraweeh prayers on its thresholds "on the way of the Mujahideen between Lions Gate and Hutta Gate.
The Islamic Endowment Department said that 45 thousand worshippers performed the Ishaa and Taraweeh prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Demonstration in front of "UNRWA"
For the third time in a week, the settlers organized a demonstration in front of the Refugee Relief and Employment Agency (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem, and they raised the Israeli flags and closed its main door, chanting against the agency and its workers, demanding that it be expelled and stop its work immediately.
Raids and arrests
The Israeli forces stormed "a residential building in the Shu’fat refugee camp" in Jerusalem, which includes the apartment of the martyr Fadi Jamjoum.
The forces photographed the building and its surroundings, and also raided all the apartments and counted the number of residents and families living in them.
The occupation authorities had closed the house of the Jerusalemite martyr Fadi Jamjoum, in the Shu’fat refugee camp, by a decision of the commander of the Home Front.
Arrests also continued in the city of Jerusalem, and the Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored arrests from: Issawiya, Shu’fat, and Herods Gate.
