Clashes, arrests and raids inside Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Israeli Special Forces raided Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday morning and fired sound grenades and rubber bullets towards the worshippers and the people present in the courtyards. The raid was carried out to secure the settlers’ break-ins to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the “Sukkot” Jewish holiday after the Jewish extremist group called to break into Al-Aqsa Mosque on those days which start from Wednesday the 8th of October until Thursday the 16th of October; note that the settlers requested the police to prevent Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa. Al-Aqsa guards said that the forces prevented all Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque including the director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Omar Kiswani, and several employees of the Islamic Awqaf as well as students since 6:30 in the morning; note that the forces prevented men under the age of 50 from performing the Dawn Prayer inside Al-Aqsa and they prayed at Al-Aqsa Gates. The guards said that the Israeli forces surrounded the Marabouts inside Al-Qibali Mosque and fired sound grenades and rubber bullets towards them which led to several injuries; note that the carpets of the Mosque caught on fire but was controlled and put off after the fire extinguishing staff stepped in. The guards also explained that the occupation forces assaulted and pushed them while they tried to go inside Al-Qibali Mosque. Ten minutes later, the fire extinguishing staff was able to go in the Mosque and control the fire despite the fact that the forces continued to fire sound grenades and Molotov cocktails towards the Marabouts. A group of extremists broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque through Dung Gate and carried out a tour into its courtyards after the forces assaulted the Muslim worshippers and forced them to empty the courtyards of Al-Aqsa. The forces arrested Abeer Ziad near Al-Majles Gate and witnesses said that the forces severely assaulted her and took off the veil from her head and also arrested an elderly from inside Al-Aqsa Mosque. The clashes lasted from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. where dozens suffocated and 20 young men were injured with rubber bullets and shrapnel of sound grenades including one serious injury in the head; note that he was transferred to the hospital for treatment. It is noteworthy that the forces deliberately damaged the doors of Al-Qibali Mosque and broke its windows during the break-in. Nearly 60 extremists broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque through Dung Gate and carried out a tour into its courtyards. The forces also assaulted the guard Hamzeh Nimer and prevented him from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque. The police arrested five people from the gates of Al-Aqsa while they were trying to get in.
