The Israeli occupation forces are heavily mobilized in Al-Aqsa Mosque in a bid to provide protection for the illegal Israeli settlers storming the holy site.
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IOF deployed to al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Palestine on June 18, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
The Islamic Endowments Department in Palestine reported on Thursday that more than 900 Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups through Al-Mughrabi Gate to mark the third day of Jewish Passover.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian worshipers, inspecting their IDs at the gates of al-Quds, and preventing many of them from entering the mosque.
Al-Quds has been turned into a military fortress, with over 3,000 Israeli police officers deployed throughout the city. It is worth noting that dozens of iron barriers have been erected on streets and roads leading to Al-Quds.
🚨BREAKING: AL-AQSA.
Now, a mass of hundreds of Israelis stormed the Buraq Wall in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, to perform the “Blessing of the Priests” prayer, under the protection of thousands of police and security personnel.
Islamic Endowments Department: More than… pic.twitter.com/4MthZGlU0C
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) April 25, 2024
Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas called on Palestinians last Friday to congregate in defense of Al-Aqsa mosque.
The movement added that the call comes to “terminate the plans of the Zionist enemy and its extremist settler gangs and the so-called Temple group to desecrate the courtyards of Al-Aqsa and perform sacrificial rituals inside it.”
‘Israel’ storms West Bank
Earlier today, the Israeli occupation continued its aggression against the towns and cities of the West Bank, as it stormed several towns.
Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent reported that a local, Khaled Arqawi, was shot by Israeli occupation forces during their raid on Ramallah. Local sources confirmed that he was martyred after sustaining a gunshot wound to the abdomen, after which he was taken to the Palestine Medical Complex.
The sources reported that multiple Israeli military vehicles entered the city, deploying in the Ramallah al-Tahta and al-Tireh neighborhoods, as well as in the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood in al-Bireh, where they carried out a house raid.
Sources confirmed that locals confronted the occupation forces who opened live fire and threw stun grenades.
At the same time, the occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarm, arresting three Palestinians, while Resistance fighters confronted and targeted them with bullet fire, according to Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent. The IOF also shot a young man in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, and another was detained.
Local sources confirmed that several Israeli military vehicles stormed the town, raided several neighborhoods, and detained local Hilal Abu al-Saud after storming his house, searching and vandalizing it.
This unfolds amid ongoing confrontations in the West Bank, especially since the beginning of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Towns and cities in the West Bank endure daily raids, alongside extensive arrest campaigns, resulting in an increase in the number of martyrs and injuries from confrontations with the occupation forces.
The big picture
A member of the Israeli parliament, representing the far-right, proposed on April 18 the construction of a “third temple” to supplant Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied al-Quds, as per Anadolu Agency.
Yitzhak Pindrus, a member of the extremist United Torah Judaism Party, expressed his desire for all Jewish people to gather in al-Quds to conduct their Passover sacrifice during a television interview.
“We are hoping that soon the Third Temple will be built there, and we’ll be able to eat there from the Passover sacrifices,” he stressed.
Passover, an important Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, holds religious significance in the Jewish calendar. This year, it commences on the evening of April 22 and lasts until April 30.
Al-Aqsa is revered as one of the holiest sites for Muslims worldwide. Conversely, Jews refer to the area as the “Temple Mount”, citing its historical significance as the location of two ancient Jewish temples.
The call made by the Knesset member is the most recent in a series of provocative statements and actions by Israeli officials regarding the holy Islamic site.
In a similar context, Israeli media reported a week ago that Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has included changes to the status quo at the site in his Ministry’s formal action plans. His plan aims to alter the status quo at the Mosque by granting Israeli control over the site and allowing Jewish worshippers access, as reported by the Israeli public broadcaster, KAN.
