By Awad al-Rujoub
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA): The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused the Israeli government on Friday of exploiting the world’s preoccupation with the Israeli war on Gaza ‘to seize control of the Al-Aqsa Mosque’ in occupied East Jerusalem.
“Israel exploits the preoccupation with the genocide war in Gaza Strip and imposes more Judaization measures against Al-Aqsa Mosque,” it said in a statement.
It strongly condemned the Israeli forces’ assault on Palestinian worshipers and preventing them from reaching the mosque, as well as condemned the Israeli assault on journalists who were present at the scene.
Early Friday, Israeli police attacked Palestinians in East Jerusalem after preventing them from reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers.
Witnesses said police fired sound bombs and tear gas at Palestinians.
The confrontations occurred in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood, adjacent to the holy site, as worshipers gathered for Friday prayers, unable to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the 11th consecutive week due to restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation forces, eported Wafa news agency.
The forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters and doused the crowd with contaminated water to disperse them, causing many cases of suffocation from teargas inhalation, according to local sources.
[Israeli soldiers fire tear gas canisters against Palestinians, who want to perform Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Wadi al-Juz neighborhood East Jerusalem on 22 12 23. Photojournalist: Saeed Qaq/ AA]
Large police contingents were deployed at the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City, and checkpoints were set up to prevent worshipers from passing, and only elderly individuals were allowed to cross.
Since the start of the latest conflict in Gaza on Oct. 7, Israeli police have imposed severe restrictions on the entry of worshipers to the mosque, which intensify on Fridays.
Israeli settlers’ extreme groups in the West Bank have also increased attacks on Palestinians, a development that has been decried by the UN and a number of countries.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
[Photo: Israeli soldiers stand guard as hundreds of Palestinians gather to perform Friday prayer in Wadi al-Juz neighborhood after Israeli authorities barred them from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on 22 12 23. Photojournalist: Saeed Qaq/ AA]
