IOF raid Al-Aqsa Mosque, Resistance responds from Gaza
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The Israeli occupation forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque as hundreds of Palestinians are stationed there in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan.
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Israeli police close a path leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Al-Quds, occupied Palestine, April 1, 2023 (AP)
The Israeli occupation forces raided Wednesday dawn Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds and assaulted the Palestinians who are stationed there as part of the religious practice of Itikaf, which is highly prevalent during the holy month of Ramadan.
As a prelude to the raid, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) cut the power off Al-Qibli prayer hall despite hundreds of Palestinians being stationed there.
In light of the raid, Palestinian media said injuries had been recorded in Al-Qibli prayer hall of Al-Aqsa, with there being calls for medics to be sent to the holy site.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that seven injuries were recorded, with numerous signs of beating and rubber bullet wounds being found on the victims' bodies, outside of Al-Aqsa compound. The emergency service also reported that two injuries were transported to nearby hospitals due to their severity.
Videos shared by worshippers from the mosque show Palestinians being brutally beaten in their place of worship, prompting them to respond to the Israeli occupation using fireworks and stones.
This is happening now in Jerusalem, Palestine. One of the holiest places in Islam is being savagely attacked by Israeli occupation forces. No sanctions. No ICC warrants. pic.twitter.com/2UxQwe2HWD
— Hadi Nasrallah (@HadiNasrallah) April 4, 2023
Following the Israeli acts of aggression, the Palestinian resistance responded from Gaza, launching two salvoes of rockets toward the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948, with reports saying that several rockets hit Israeli military targets.
Explosions were heard in the Israeli settlement of "Sderot" in the Gaza envelope, Israeli media reported.
There are calls for Palestinians to head to the east of the Gaza Strip and kick off night confusion activities all throughout the strip in solidarity with the people of Al-Quds, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.
The latest developments come in light of reports coming out over the past few days that the occupation was preparing for provocations in Al-Aqsa.
Palestinian media reported that people took to the streets all over occupied Palestine to march in solidarity with those being attacked in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Waed Prisoners Association revealed that at least 170 Palestinian civilians were arrested in Al-Aqsa compound and taken to an unknown destination.
The escalation drew the ire of various Palestinian resistance groups and even Jordan with the latter's Foreign Ministry issuing a statement condemning the IOF's storming of Al-Aqsa while holding "Tel Aviv" responsible for any repercussions.
Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh condemned the escalation in Al-Aqsa as "an unprecedented crime, and it will have an aftermath."
"I call on our people in the West Bank and the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 to own up to their responsibilities as Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims," Haniyeh added.
Meanwhile, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) underlined that the Israeli occupation forces storming Al-Aqsa Mosque and assaulting the Palestinians stationed there would not go unanswered.
"Any attempt to escalate in Al-Quds or desecrate Al-Aqsa and offer animal sacrifices will cause the situation to reach a boiling point," the PFLP stressed.
The Palestinian People's Party said the Israeli aggression on Al-Aqsa is a clear indication that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fascist government is insisting on carrying on in the path of destruction to cause its internal issues to spread outside their confines.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said the continuation of the raids on Al-Aqsa and the assault of worshippers is an Israeli attempt to attack the Palestinian people, condemning the occupation's actions and aggression.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayeh also condemned the Israeli occupation's actions, saying the developments in Al-Quds were a crime of great magnitude against the Palestinian worshippers.
The Palestinian presidency underlined that the Israeli occupation's desecration of sanctities was an all-out war against the Palestinian people and the Arab World.
"We hold the occupation's government fully responsible for any repercussions, and it must stop the tampering that will lead to disastrous results," the PA added. "We warn the occupation's authorities against crossing any red lines when it comes to the sanctities, as such actions will lead to unforeseeable consequences."
Read next: IOF on high alert in West Bank, North amid warnings from Lions' Den
This wave of aggression comes after the Israeli occupation forces raided the Al-Aqsa mosque on Sunday, intending to expel Palestinian worshippers from the sacred mosque and its Al-Qibli prayer hall. However, the Palestinians stationed inside the hall locked the doors from the inside and prevented the IOF from entering.
Moreover, an Israeli Zionist group that goes by the name Return to Temple Mount has offered monetary rewards to anyone that succeeds in sacrificing animals inside the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque.
The intention, under the pretense of a "Passover Sacrifice", is to desecrate the mosque during the most sacred month in Islam, impose a supposed Zionist identity upon Al-Aqsa, and consequently threaten the identity of the eternal Arab capital of Palestine, Al-Quds.
Last year, in the early days of the holy month of Ramadan, dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
