Palestinian Muslim devotees gather at the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of the third Friday Noon prayer during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Jerusalem on April 7, 2023. — AFP
Published in The News, on Apr 9th, 2023, By Web Desk
Videos on social media show Israeli police firing and ransacking mosque
Amid brutality carried out by the Israeli forces during the holy month of Ramadan, Jordan has warned Israel of catastrophic consequences if its forces stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque again, CNN reported on Saturday.
Videos emerged on social media showing Israeli police firing and ransacking the mosque alongside beating the worshippers in cold blood.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ambassador Sinan al-Majali said in a statement: “Should the Israeli police, assault worshippers again, in an attempt to empty [the mosque] of worshippers, in preparation for major incursions into the mosque, it would push the situation towards more tension and violence, for which everyone will pay the price.”
Al-Majali added: “The Israeli government bears responsibility for the escalation in Jerusalem and in all the occupied Palestinian territories and for the deterioration that will worsen if it does not stop its incursions into the holy al-Aqsa mosque… and its terrorisation of worshippers in these blessed days.”
The Jordanian statement comes after the Israeli Foreign Ministry hinted at assaulting the worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque again by saying, “People who, barricade themselves inside [the al-Aqsa mosque] are a dangerous mob, radicalised and incited by Hamas and other terror organisations.”
The Israeli ministry asked Jordan to “immediately remove [its Waqf guards] from the al-Aqsa Mosque these extremists who are planning to riot [on Sunday] during Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount and the Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall.”
The Waqf is the body appointed by Jordan responsible for managing the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known as the Temple Mount by Jews.
Last week on Wednesday, Israeli police had conducted an inhuman raid twice on al-Aqsa mosque by claiming that hundreds of rioters and mosque desecrators [had] barricaded themselves inside.
Once again on Saturday, the police alleged that many youngsters [had] entered the mosque and closed the doors, for no reason.
These raids and brutality on the innocent Palestinian worshippers are the last provocations by the Israeli forces.