Jerusalem (EFE) since the beginning of Ramadan.
At least nine rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza and met with retaliatory shelling by the army, so far with no injuries reported.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) warned today that the riots this morning could “cause a big explosion” in the area and urged the Israeli government to “act responsibly” to avoid consequences.
Management of incidents
These incidents come shortly after police officers entered Al Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam and a major source of tension in the area, and clashed with Palestinians who had locked themselves in the mosque with stones and fireworks. according to a police spokesman.
The Israeli Army reported that five rockets were intercepted by its air defense systems while another four hit “open areas.”
In response, a spokesman reported, “Israel Defense Forces fighter jets bombed a weapons manufacturing site and a manufacturing and storage site belonging to Hamas,” an Islamist movement that rules de facto in the Strip and which Israel blames. from any attack from within.
Hazem Qasem, a spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, said in a statement that the Palestinian people “will not allow the (Israeli) occupation to adopt their occupation plans on the Al Aqsa Mosque.”
In addition, he described the actions of the Israeli security forces at the site as “an aggression” and “a heinous crime” that he added is part of his “religious war.”
For his part, Ismael Haniye, the political leader of Hamas, described the incidents in Jerusalem as “an unprecedented crime that will have consequences”, and urged Palestinians from the West Bank and Israel “to go to the Al Aqsa Mosque and protect it”.
According to information from the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, more than 400 Palestinians were detained and dozens were injured during clashes with the Police.
Wafa cited witnesses who described “excessive use of force” by Israeli agents, who reportedly fired tear gas inside the mosque and fired rubber-coated bullets.
A police statement mentioned that “masked rioters disturbed the order” with “inciting chants and violence inside the mosque”, where they would have “entrenched themselves with fireworks, sticks and stones”.
“After many and prolonged attempts to remove them through dialogue without success, the police forces were forced to enter the complex to remove them with the intention of allowing early morning prayer and avoiding violent riots,” the statement added, which detailed that one of its agents was injured in the clashes that broke out when he entered the mosque.
In response to these incidents, there were protests in the West Bank, including in the town of Beit Ummar, where an Israeli soldier was shot by a Palestinian in clashes that, according to the Army, included the throwing of rocks and explosives. against the troops, who responded by opening fire.
Escalation of tension in the area
The episodes on Wednesday mark an escalation of tension in the area, where the most violent start to the year in a long time is taking place, with an increase in attacks by both Palestinians and Jewish settlers living in the West Bank, as well as an increase in violent Israeli raids in the occupied territories.
The Palestinian death toll in violent incidents with Israel in the occupied West Bank so far this year has risen to 92 – an average of more than one a day and the highest number for that period since 2000. On the Israeli side, 15 people have died, victims of attacks by Palestinians or Arab-Israelis.
