Worshippers were attacked by Israeli forces in Masjid Al-Aqsa on Wednesday. [Picture: dawn.com]
The headline has long been stale. Israeli forces have once again stormed Masjid Al-Aqsa in East Jerusalem, attacking and arresting worshippers in what witnesses described as a violent raid.
Local officials have said at least 400 Palestinians were arrested on Wednesday. They are being detained at a police station in Atarot, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Twelve people were injured, including three who had to be sent to hospital, as Israeli forces hurled stun grenades and tear gas. The aggressive use of force was also accompanied by beatings with rifles and batons.
“I was sitting on a chair reciting (Quran),” a breathless elderly woman told the Reuters news agency. “They hurled stun grenades, one of them hit my chest,” she cried.
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Chaotic footage shared on social media showed sparks and smoke as forces of the apartheid regime viciously attacked worshippers. The worshippers chanted “Labaik Ya Aqsa” – meaning “I am here, oh Aqsa” – as they marched through the corridors of the sacred compound.
Images of the aftermath showed debris scattered on the floor of Islam’s third holiest site, while mainstream media appeared to be caught in slumber.
This morning’s altercation was nothing new for peaceful Palestinian worshippers, whose only objective is to pray at the facility. Unfortunately for them, Ramadan is also a period of heightened aggression from the occupying forces.
This year, Ramadan and the Jewish Passover coincide, sparking fears of further aggression and violence at the site.
