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Numerous people demonstrated in front of the Moroccan parliament on Friday in Rabat to support the Palestinians. Following an altercation between Israeli police and Palestinians inside Al Aqsa in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, there has been an increase in international outrage and concern.
According to human rights activist Sion Assidon, “After the crimes committed by the occupier of Palestine on the esplanade of the mosques and within the Al-Aqsa mosque itself without any respect for a sacred, a religious place, the Israeli army returned to drive the young people who were there away.”
With concerns of further escalation after the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) struck Hamas targets in Lebanon, the most recent situation has sparked a military exchange of rockets and air strikes between Israel and Palestine.
Israel “will not permit the Hamas terrorist organization to operate from within Lebanon,” according to a statement released by the Israel Defense Forces on Friday. Israel also “holds the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory.”
Armed police in riot gear stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque’s prayer hall earlier on Wednesday in an effort to free “law-breaking youths and masked agitators” who they claimed had barricaded themselves inside.
Police video showed that the officers were met with a hail of rocks and fireworks, and more than 350 people were detained.
Images of Israeli security forces beating people at the mosque shocked and appalled United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to his spokesman. This is especially true given that it occurred during a time that is sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims and should be a time of peace.
According to John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, the United States is “extremely concerned by the continuing violence and we urge all sides to avoid further escalation.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, whose nation and Israel have been mending fences, declared: “Trampling on the Al-Aqsa mosque is our red line.”
Later that day, as worshippers gathered for evening prayers, “dozens of law-breaking youths, some of them masked, threw fireworks and stones” into the mosque and attempted to barricade themselves in once more, according to Israeli police.
According to police, officers stopped and scattered the “violent rioters” and let worshippers leave. An AFP reporter observed Israeli security personnel blocking entrances to the mosque.
Mahmud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, was quoted as saying that Israel was “creating an atmosphere of escalation, instability, and tension,” adding that on Wednesday night, police stormed the mosque and attacked worshippers.
Since Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government, a coalition of extreme right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, came to power in December, violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has increased.
The holiest site in Judaism, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is built on top of the mosque in east Jerusalem, which Israel annexed.
As a result of clashes there in May 2021, the most recent Gaza War, which lasted 11 days, was sparked. It has been a frequent flashpoint.
- Fireworks and rocks
Tyres were set ablaze by protesters in Gaza as they vowed “to defend and protect the Al-Aqsa mosque.”
At least nine rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel within hours of the initial clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque, according to the army, which added that two suspected Hamas weapons manufacturing sites were “response” struck by warplanes.
According to AFP journalists, new rocket fire from Gaza and additional Israeli strikes were launched in response to the airstrikes.
Witnesses later on Wednesday reported seeing two more rockets launch from northern Gaza. One launch “failed” and landed in Gaza, according to Israel, while the second one touched down “in the vicinity of the security fence” border.
Another militant group operating out of Gaza, Islamic Jihad, referred to the rockets as “a first warning message.”
The term “Repercussions”
The Israeli police action inside Al-Aqsa was denounced by Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh, who added that “the level of brutality requires urgent Palestinian, Arab, and international action.”
Germany pleaded with both parties to “do everything they can to defuse the situation.”
The Arab League convened an urgent meeting after denouncing “the attack on the faithful.”
Jordan, which is in charge of the mosque, denounced the Israeli forces’ “storming” and demanded that they leave the area right away.
In accordance with agreements mediated by the US, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020. Both countries strongly denounced the Israeli police action.
In a statement, the UAE’s foreign ministry denounced any actions that “threaten to further exacerbate escalation.” It also criticized those who “barricade themselves” during worship.
The foreign ministry of Rabat emphasized the necessity of “avoiding measures and violations likely to harm chances of peace in the region.”
If the international community does not move quickly to take action, Israeli practices “will have serious repercussions on security and stability in the region” and “will undermine efforts to revive the stalled peace process,” according to the Gulf emirate of Qatar, which does not recognize Israel.
According to an AFP count based on official sources from both sides, at least 91 Palestinians, 15 Israelis, and one Ukrainian have died in the conflict so far this year.
