JERUSALEM: The Israeli police attacked dozens of worshippers in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound which left several people injured, Al Jazeera reported citing witnesses.
The Israeli police claimed they raided the compound in response to “rioting” on Wednesday before dawn.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, injuries were reported as a result of the raid but it was not elaborated on how many were hurt. It also said that medics were prevented from reaching the mosque by the Israeli forces.
“I was sitting on a chair reciting (Qur’an),” said an elderly woman while talking to reporters while sitting outside the mosque. “They hurled stun grenades, one of them hit my chest,” she said as she began to cry.
The Israeli police claimed in a statement that they had to enter the mosque after “masked agitators” locked themselves inside with fireworks, sticks and stones.
“When the police entered, stones were thrown at them and fireworks were fired from inside the mosque by a large group of agitators,” the statement said, adding that one of the police officers was wounded in the leg.
The latest attack has been condemned by the Palestinian groups which they describe as a crime.
“We warn the occupation against crossing red lines at holy sites, which will lead to a big explosion,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Jordan and Egypt have issued different statements on the recent attack, with the former condemning Israel’s “flagrant” storming of the compound and the latter calling for an immediate stop to the “blatant assault” on worshippers.
