Third Day on Al-Aqsa Clashes: Israeli Forces Smash Al-Qabli Mosque Gates

For the third consecutive day the Israeli occupation turned the Al-Aqsa Mosque into a yard of clashes and aggression after Zionist soldiers filled the courtyards of the mosque with rubber bullets and broke Al-Qabli Mosque gates during a raid it launched on the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Mughrabi Gate.

Al-Aqsa violenceThe raid on Tuesday morning included an assault on worshipers and launching a barrage of sound bombs and toxic tear gas and rubber bullets, according to the Palestinian news agency (WAFA).

At least 17 Palestinians were injured in the clashes early on Tuesday and several others were savagely arrested.

“This intrusion is a precedent, by resorting to shatter and break down of Al-Qabli mosque gates, in order to arrest worshipers inside, and the resulting in devastation and massive destruction, as well as burning a new part of the mosque carpets, cracking several windows of the historic mosque,” the agency quoted an Islamic Waqf Department worker as saying.

Al-Aqsa violenceThe Zionist police are set to allow Jewish settlers to tour the courtyards of the mosque, which in the past has stirred angry reactions from Palestinians who fear ‘Israel’ may change the rules for visiting Al-Aqsa compound.

Abdel Aziz Al Abasi, leader of the Murabitoun movement that guards the mosque, said Israeli police have sealed off the compound.

“The bigger problem here is that the Israelis are trying to establish a precedent by dividing Al-Aqsa Mosque compound into sections and time segments, so they can give Israeli settlers access to our mosque,” Al Abasi told Al Jazeera. “We will never agree to such plan because it is obvious that the Israelis are trying to take it over piecemeal.”

Witnesses told Maan news agency that occupation forces have deployed in the Al-Aqsa courtyards and especially at Al-Qabli and Al-Marwani mosques and forcefully deported all Palestinians there, beat them and threw sound bombs on them.