Palestinian, Arab and international criticism continued for settlers' storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, under the protection of the occupation forces, which preceded the dawn and prevented the Palestinians from being in the courtyards of the Haram.

According to sources from the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, about 1,210 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday.

The storming included confrontations between worshipers and the occupation forces, assaulting worshipers, including women, and closing the tribal prayer hall.

In a tweet, Knesset member Ahmed Tibi accused the government of Naftali Bennett of "giving in to right-wing extremists in everything."

Al-Tibi is a member of the Knesset for the Joint List, an alliance of three Arab parties, who does not participate in the government coalition.


In turn, the deputy, who heads the same list, Ayman Odeh, tweeted, "After a month of the media march, the Government of Change continues violence and repression in Al-Aqsa, Bab Al-Amud and Sheikh Jarrah."

"But shooting and sound bombs reinforce the simple truth: An entire people are under occupation and they have the right to be liberated from it."

"Death to the Arabs"

Extremist Israeli groups had recently called for an intensification of incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque in large numbers, on July 18 (today, Sunday), on the occasion of the anniversary of the so-called “destruction of the Temple.”

Bennett's government was sworn in before the Knesset on June 13, and includes 8 parties, including the Yamina (right) party headed by him.


On the 15th of the same month, thousands of settlers set out from West Jerusalem towards Bab al-Amud, one of the gates of the Old City in East Jerusalem, where they performed the provocative "flags dance" and chanted slogans and chants in Hebrew.

Some settlers chanted slogans, including "Death to the Arabs", in addition to others insulting to the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, before they left Bab al-Amud towards the Buraq Wall (the Israelis call the Wailing Wall), the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Occupation attacks

The occupation forces had dispersed dozens of worshipers who gathered near Al-Qibli Mosque, claiming that they had thrown stones at Jews who were praying in the courtyard of the Al-Buraq Wall.

The occupation forces suppressed a march at the Dome of the Rock for the Palestinians, who chanted, “With our souls and blood, we will redeem you, Al-Aqsa,” while they surrounded the Al-Qibli prayer hall and fired tear gas canisters at the worshipers, and the occupation forces closed the mosque with iron chains.


The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a Palestinian citizen was transferred to the hospital as a result of the beating, while its teams treated a number of injuries on the ground.

Rabbi Yehuda Glick presented hundreds of settlers’ incursions into Al-Aqsa, who made provocative tours of the courtyards of the Temple Mount and received explanations about the alleged “Temple”, while some of them performed Talmudic rituals in front of the Dome of the Rock, before leaving the courtyards of the Temple Mount through Bab al-Silsilah.

According to Reuters, calm has returned to the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the city of Jerusalem, and a photographer from the agency said that the gates of the Al-Qibli Mosque, where there are dozens of worshipers, were reopened.

He added that the Israeli police arrested at least 4 young men from the mosque's courtyards.

The director of Al-Aqsa Mosque had said earlier today that Israeli forces stormed the mosque after dawn prayers and fired sound bombs and rubber bullets at the worshipers.


Arab and international condemnation

The European Union office in the Palestinian Territories expressed its concern over the current events in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"Acts of incitement must be avoided and the status quo respected," he said in a statement.

"The Israeli authorities, religious leaders and the community on all sides must act urgently to de-escalate this volatile situation," he added.

On Sunday, Jordan condemned Jewish settlers' storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque. A statement by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dhaifallah Al-Fayez, said, "The Israeli actions against the mosque are rejected and condemned, and represent a violation of the historical and legal status quo, international law, and Israel's obligations as an occupying power in East Jerusalem."

He explained that the ministry sent an official protest note today, calling on Israel to stop its violations and provocations, respect the historical and legal status quo, respect the sanctity of the mosque, the freedom of worshipers, the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration and the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jordan.

Al-Fayez stressed that "Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of ​​144 dunums, is a place of worship purely for Muslims."


He added that the Department of Endowments for Jerusalem and the Affairs of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jordan is the body that has the exclusive jurisdiction to manage all the affairs of the campus and organize entry to it.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the Israeli security forces' attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and "the arrest of some Palestinians, including children and women, in a way that offends human dignity."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Sunday, that the Israeli security forces violated the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque again this morning, and fired sound bombs at it.

The statement added that the Israeli security again allowed racist Jewish groups to violate the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He pointed out that the Israeli forces' attacks on Palestinians during the last month of Ramadan "are still fresh in our minds."

He stressed that "the continuation of such provocative actions is a very dangerous matter," and the Turkish Foreign Ministry called on the Israeli government to work to stop these provocations and attacks.


barbaric attacks

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry had denounced the "barbaric attacks" practiced by the occupation forces and police on the worshipers in the mosque at dawn, chasing them and forcing them to leave the mosque's courtyards, to facilitate the incursions of Jewish extremists.

The ministry called on the international community to take a firm stand to stop the continuous Israeli aggression on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as Undersecretary Hussam Abu Al-Rub said, in a press statement, that "these daily incursions target the independence of Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially in light of practices that have gone beyond provocative daily violations to systematic and studied violations in order to control and Judaize it."


And earlier on Saturday, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that it had informed the mediators - it did not specify - of the danger of the provocative move of settlers in Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The movement’s spokesman, Hazem Qassem, said in a statement, “These incursions by extremist settler groups, under the protection of the occupation army and police, are an aggression against the sanctities of our people and our nation, and a provocation to the feelings of Arabs and Muslims around the world, and an Israeli disregard for all international decisions and calls condemning these incursions.”

Qassem stressed that "our Palestinian people stationed in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa will remain the faithful protector of the Islamic and Christian sanctities of our people."

Almost daily, dozens of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Mughrabi Gate in the western wall of the mosque, with facilities and escorts from the Israeli police.

The Israeli police began allowing the raids in 2003, despite repeated condemnation by the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem.