Ahmed Versi

As we go to print and Ramadan is ending, Israeli police attacked with rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades Palestinians praying tarawih [night prayers] in the holy month of Ramadan in Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, injuring hundreds of Palestinian worshippers.

In retaliation, Hamas fired hundreds of rockets from Gaza into Israel killing 5, injuring 45 Israelis.

Israel then attacked Gaza with hundreds of airforce sorties killing 35 Palestinians and injuring 220.

In the four days of violence against largely peaceful Palestinian protesters, Israeli forces injured 840 Palestinians in Al-Aqsa mosque and its compound, according to Amnesty International.

Tensions had been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem since previous week after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has remained silent himself in the face of Israeli police firing rubber-coated metal bullets and dispensing tear gas when invading Islam’s third most holy site at al-Aqsa Mosque allowing his spokesman to condemn the military attack on Palestinian worshippers.

Earlier, in a tweet, Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, only condemned Palestinians and not Israelis for the violence. He said, “The UK condemns the firing of rockets at Jerusalem and locations within Israel. The ongoing violence in Jerusalem and Gaza must stop. We need an immediate de-escalation on all sides, and end to targeting of civilian populations.”

“Any violence against worshippers in the mosque is not acceptable,” Prime Minister’s spokesman said when asked twice whether the Johnson would also condemn the targeting of worshippers in al-Aqsa mosque.

“The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has said the ongoing violence in Jerusalem and Gaza is deeply concerning and must stop and immediate de-escalation on all sides and end to targeting of civilian population,” Spokesman had initially said.