The Arab League announced an urgent meeting this afternoon to discuss the Israeli police's incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque. A statement from the League's Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit cited, "The extremist tendencies controlling the policies of the Israeli government will lead to widespread confrontations with the Palestinians if they are not curtailed." Jordan, in coordination with Egypt and Palestine, called for an urgent Arab League meeting following the recent events at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli police attacked dozens of worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque early in the morning, describing it as a response to riots. The incursion sparked protests across the occupied West Bank, with the Palestinian Red Crescent reporting "seven injuries during confrontations outside the walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque." Two injuries were transported to the hospital, and the report indicated that the injuries resulted from "rubber bullets and beatings." They added, "The occupation forces prevent all ambulance crews from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and assault them," announcing a state of maximum alert and mobilizing all their teams and volunteers.
Video footage on social media showed the Israeli police storming the Qibli prayer hall at Al-Aqsa Mosque, assaulting worshippers, and arresting several of them. A Reuters correspondent reported that hundreds of worshippers responded to a call from national and Islamic factions to perform I'tikaf (spiritual retreat) in Al-Aqsa to confront calls from Jewish groups to storm the mosque today, Wednesday, on the occasion of Jewish holidays.
An elderly woman sitting outside Al-Aqsa Mosque, trying hard to catch her breath before bursting into tears, said to Reuters, "I was sitting on the chair; they are throwing bombs; I was still reciting the Quran when a bomb hit my chest."
The Israeli police stated they were compelled to enter the Al-Aqsa mosque compound after "masked inciters" barricaded themselves inside with fireworks, sticks, and stones. "O God, be with them, support them, and make their feet firm" was a message popular on social media urging prayers for those in Al-Aqsa.
They added in a statement, "When the police entered, they were met with stone-throwing and firecrackers being launched from inside the mosque by a large group of inciters," stating that one of their officers was injured in the leg. The clashes in the Al-Aqsa mosque complex have led to outbreaks of violence in recent years.
Palestinian factions quickly condemned the Israeli assaults on worshippers, calling it a crime. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, warned the occupation against crossing red lines in holy places, which could lead to a major explosion.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemned the Israeli occupation police's incursion into the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque and the assaults on those present, demanding that Israel immediately withdraw its police and special forces from the Al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif.
In a press statement, Ismail Haniya, head of the political bureau of Hamas, called the current situation in Al-Aqsa a "historic crime" with serious implications. He urged the Palestinian and Arab people to bear responsibility and called on the people in the West Bank and 1948 territories to head to Al-Aqsa and protect it.
The Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Ziad al-Nakhalah, stated that the situation at Al-Aqsa represents a serious threat to religious sanctities, emphasizing that the Palestinian people must be present among all their components for the inevitable confrontation in the coming days.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned, in the strongest terms, the Israeli occupation police's incursion into Al-Aqsa mosque and the assaults on those present, demanding Israel to withdraw its police and special forces immediately.
In Cairo, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli police's incursion into Al-Aqsa mosque, along with the gross assaults that resulted in numerous injuries among worshippers and retreaters, including women, which violate all international laws and norms.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry vehemently condemned the Israeli forces' incursion into Al-Aqsa mosque and the arrest of many Palestinians who took refuge in the Qibli prayer hall. Both U.S. Congressman Jamal Bowman and Senator Bernie Sanders condemned systematic Israeli violations of international law and Palestinian rights amid rising violence. Both countries are participating in U.S. efforts to ease tensions between Palestinians and Israelis and achieve calm, which recently included two conferences, one in Aqaba and another in Sharm El Sheikh.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned the incursion, stating it undermines peace efforts. As a consequence of the events at Al-Aqsa, Palestinian factions launched a barrage of rockets from Gaza towards settlements surrounding Gaza. The Israeli army reported that at least four rockets were intercepted, while four others fell in open areas.
The "Wafa" agency reported that Israeli aircraft targeted three sites in the southwestern Gaza City area and another in the Nuseirat camp in the center of the Strip, causing property damage but no injuries reported. It was added that the Israeli army artillery fired three shells at a site east of Deir al-Balah, causing significant damage. Several shells were also fired towards fishing boats off the coast of the Sudaniya area northwest of Gaza City, forcing them to leave the sea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is working to calm the situation.
