Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa, assault worshippers for 2nd night in row: Witnesses

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli forces on Wednesday stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem for the second night in a row and assaulted Palestinian worshippers at the site.

Witnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli forces raided the Al-Qibli Prayer Hall in the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex after the tarawih prayers, a special prayer during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, fired stun grenades and beat Palestinian worshippers.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Jerusalem said its medical teams inside Al-Aqsa Mosque complex treated six Palestinians, two of which were transferred to hospital.

According to Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks on the Israeli forces.

Early Wednesday, the Israeli police attacked the Palestinians inside the Al-Qibli Prayer Hall and detained around 350 worshippers from inside the mosque.

According to the Commission for Palestinian Prisoners Affairs, Israeli police began to release the detainees on the condition that they be removed from Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s Old City for a week.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents Islam’s third-holiest site. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar