With pictures: Clashes and injuries at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Dozens of citizens suffocated and were injured with burns from sound bombs during clashes that broke out in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque after the Friday prayer as the worshippers condemned the several break-ins carried out by extremists during the Jewish holiday “Hanukkah”. The staff of Al-Aqsa clinic said that 40 injuries have been transferred to the clinic where some of them had suffocated from the poisonous gas and others were injured with shrapnel of sound bombs. Five injuries have been transferred to the hospital for treatment among them a 10-year old and his father who were injured with shrapnel in the face and neck. A young man was injured with shrapnel in his head which led to bleeding and another was injured his lower limbs. Two journalists were injured with burns and paramedic from the Arab Paramedics Organization was injured with shrapnel in addition to the injury of two Turkish men who suffered burns in the face. Dozens of citizens (men, women and children) suffocated while being sprayed with pepper gas when they were surrounded in Al-Qibali Mosque where the Israeli forces purposely sprayed them through the small holes in the gates of the Mosque; the young men responded by throwing wood pieces and shoes at the forces. The Israeli forces broke into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque through Al-Silsileh and Dung Gates and heavily fired sound bombs to disperse the worshippers and surrounded a large number inside Al-Qibali Mosque. Clashes broke out by the Dome of the Rock and the Special Forces closed the doors of Al-Qibali Mosque and the old Mosque and surrounded worshippers in Al-Marwani mosque and the Dome of the Rock; they also closed Al-Aqsa clinic on top of Al-Marwani using chains and iron pipes. The Israeli forces tried to prevent the journalists from photographing and documenting the incidents and used force to isolate them from the area of the clashes. They assaulted photographer Ata Aweisat by beating him and spraying him and photographer Wisam Hammoudeh with pepper spray and pushed away journalist Amjad Arafeh; they also targeted the areas where journalists were gathered and fired sound bombs towards them. The Marabouts chanted “God is Great” in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque as soon as the forces withdrew from Al-Silsileh and Dung Gates; note that Intelligence forces and Musta’ribeen were deployed in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa during the clashes. The police arrested three young men after they left Al-Aqsa through Lions gate. Clashes also broke out in the neighbourhoods of Al-Sa’dyeh and Bab Hutta.
