Hundreds of Wounded and Detainees After the Israeli Occupation Stormed al-Aqsa Mosque Again [Hashtag]

In scenes reminiscent of what happened during the month of Ramadan last year, the Israeli occupation forces launched an unprecedented violent attack on Friday, April 15, 2022, on hundreds of worshipers retreating inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, which resulted in the injury of more than 150 Palestinians, and the arrest of 400 others.

The Israeli storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque this time comes in conjunction with the calls of the Jewish Temple groups to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque and make the so-called “Passover sacrifices” in its courtyards during the days of the Jewish Passover holiday, which began on the evening of Friday, April 15, and will last for eight days.

For the second time in less than 48 hours, specifically on the morning of April 17, the Israeli police forces stormed again in large numbers the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and forced the worshipers to completely evacuate the mosque, before hundreds of settlers stormed the Mosque, amid calls for distress to protect the Mosque from the attacks of the occupation and extremist settlers.

According to Palestinian sources, Israeli forces have killed at least 14 Palestinians since the beginning of Ramadan on April 2, following a large-scale campaign of raids launched by the occupation forces throughout the West Bank, which created an additional atmosphere of tension between the occupation and the Palestinians.

All of the above provoked a wave of anger and widespread indignation among activists on Twitter, who considered them provocative positions on the feelings of Muslims, and demanded through their participation in several hashtags, most notably #AlAqsaUnderAttack, #Jerusalem and #Palestine, all Arab and Islamic countries in particular to stop what is happening in Palestine, considering that it is an insult to all Muslims.

 

Blatant Israeli Violation

As a result of the violence and brutality committed by the occupation forces during the past few days, the Palestinian resistance factions blamed the occupation for the repercussions of allowing settlers to storm and desecrate the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that the continuation of the attack on worshipers and the sanctity of time and place will backfire on the occupation and its settlers, and will push towards a comprehensive confrontation.

It is noteworthy that non-Muslims can enter the premises of Al-Aqsa Mosque, but they are not allowed to worship there as it is an Islamic endowment, and the occupation army is not allowed to enter the mosque complex.

But in the past few years, extremist Jewish groups with the help of the Israeli police have tried to enter the mosque to pray and slaughter sacrifices to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday, creating an atmosphere of tension and escalation.

What Al-Aqsa Mosque and the West Bank witnessed in April 2022 ignited a strong interaction on social media platforms, users circulated photos and videos showing, according to their description, the use of gas bombs and live bullets by the Israeli forces.

In turn, Dr. Omar Suleiman, a founder and president of the Yaqeen Institute, retweeted a video clip showing the Israeli occupation forces storming Al-Aqsa Mosque with sound bombs and tear gas, and the worshipers confronting them.

He said, “I long for the day when we do not see Al-Aqsa Mosque under the attack of the occupation as a Ramadan routine. I long for the day when the Israeli occupation will end and we can spend Ramadan in peace in the blessed mosque.”

Sarah Hassan, an English teacher residing in the besieged Gaza Strip, posted a video showing the brutal assault of a child and his father by the Israeli occupation forces in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and asked, “Are these the ones who claim to be the most moral army in the world?”

In turn, Ariel Elyse Gold, a national co-director of CODEPINK, is an organization that works to end wars and support peace initiatives, tweeted that “the democracy of the occupation facilitates the celebration of the Jewish Passover by encircling Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing Christians and Muslims from entering Jerusalem, and closing the West Bank.”

 

Bias and Hypocrisy

In a related context, many Palestinian activists and those in solidarity with their cause criticized the terminology used by the Western media, especially those that imply a degree of equal use of violence and that the occupation and the Palestinians are equally to blame.

On his part, Egyptian-American journalist Ayman Mohyeldin, MSNBC presenter and former CNN journalist, criticized the use of major media outlets, most notably Reuters, Sky News and the Associated Press, headlines such as ‘clashes’ in describing what is happening in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He stressed that this biased approach to the side of the occupation obscures the reality of what is happening in Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine after the Israeli occupation attacks against the worshipers inside it.

In turn, activist Amro Ali published a picture of the headline of a report published by the New York Times and replaced some of the terms and concepts that Western media always use to provoke controversy and defend the Israeli occupation practices against the Palestinians.

In the same context, some of the tweeters criticized what they described as international silence about what is happening in Jerusalem, and compared it to global sympathy for the war in Ukraine, showing their forgetfulness in what they see fit for them, and considering the Palestinians who resist the Israeli occupier as terrorists, while the Ukrainians who resist the Russian occupier as heroes.

 

Widespread Reactions

International official reactions condemning the Israeli occupation forces' storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque squares and their use of violence against Palestinian worshipers continued, while others called for calm and respect for the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Several Arab and Islamic countries, most notably: Turkiye, Indonesia, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria, condemned the Israeli forces' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque during the second Friday prayer of the blessed month of Ramadan, according to official statements.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation considered, in a statement, the Israeli attacks a dangerous escalation of the feelings of the entire Islamic nation, and a flagrant violation of international resolutions and covenants, calling for the prevention of the recurrence of these attacks, which would fuel religious conflict, extremism and instability in the region.

The Muslim Council of Britain also condemned the uncontrolled acts of violence against worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli forces, calling on the British government to demand an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression.

On its part, the Gulf Cooperation Council, said in a statement, that the escalation of the Israeli occupation constitutes a flagrant violation, and it is a condemned and unacceptable behavior and a dangerous escalation, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities in preserving the safety of Al-Aqsa Mosque and worshipers.

The United States expressed deep concern about the violence in Jerusalem, and State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “We call on all parties to exercise restraint and preserve the historic status quo at the Mosque.”

In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Germany, France, Italy and Spain condemned the violence in East Jerusalem, calling on all parties to refrain from violence and provocation and respect the historic status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem, and recalling the importance of the two-state solution.

In turn, EU Spokesman Peter Stano said, “The European Union is following with great concern the escalation of violence across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The violence must stop immediately and the status quo of the holy sites must be fully respected.”

It is noteworthy that in May last year, also during the month of Ramadan, Israeli settlers and soldiers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, injuring hundreds of worshipers. At that time, Hamas responded by firing rockets from Gaza against Israeli settlements.

Then the Israeli occupation launched a military campaign on the besieged sector, which led to a devastating 11-day war that killed more than 260 Palestinians, including dozens of children, in addition to 13 Israelis.