Israeli forces attack worshippers in violent Al-Aqsa Mosque raid
Middle East EyeApr 05, 2023
Israeli police again raided Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque late Wednesday night — the second such raid in 24 hours — after the first led to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip firing at least nine rockets into Israel. Israel responded with air strikes that hit what it said were weapon production sites controlled by Hamas, the Islamist armed group and political party that governs the embargoed area.
Israeli police said that they arrested 350 people during the first raid after what they called "agitators" — carrying fireworks, sticks, and stones — barricaded themselves inside the mosque. Palestinians at the scene said that stun grenades and rubber bullets were used to clear out the group, and that 14 people were injured.
Every year, Israeli forces brutalize Palestinian worshippers while the world and international media either turn a blind eye or pretend as if the conflict has "two sides." Without cause, Israeli police assaulted worshippers, leading to a dangerous escalation. Indeed, the occupation's cruelty has no bounds, even during the holy month of Ramadan. Emboldened by international passivity after killing more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming even more brutal.
Though the Palestinians and their enablers will cry foul when Israeli police try to maintain order, the reality is that Wednesday's confrontation was a result of Palestinian agitators turning a holy site into a war zone. Even though the Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, Israel maintains the status quo, as it has no interest in provoking the situation in the West Bank or Gaza. While the media focuses on Jerusalem, terrorists in Gaza committed the real crime by firing rockets at Israeli civilians.
There's a 49% chance that there will be an Israel-Hezbollah war by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.