Rabat – Leaders and officials from across the world have strongly condemned Israeli troops’ latest raid on Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, denouncing “disturbing” scenes of Israeli troops attacking hundreds of worshippers and causing great damage to the mosque.
The attack, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday, resulted in the arrest of hundreds of Palestinians, who were holding an all-night Ramadan prayer at the mosque, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The raid left at least 14 Palestinians injured.
Israeli forces “illegally invaded Al Aqsa, barbarically assaulted men, women, and children, unlawfully detained over 500 worshippers, prevented ambulances from attending to hundreds of injured worshippers, causing irreparable damage to the Mosque, including by causing a fire,” said Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
Widely circulated videos on social media showed Israeli forces beating Palestinians inside and outside of the mosque as firecrackers exploded.
Israel is Beating Women children and men praying inside Al Aqsa mosque right now !!! pic.twitter.com/LDm1sBEZVb
— Noor (@NoorAbdelHaq1) April 4, 2023
The disturbing scenes triggered a global uproar, with many countries in the Arab World and beyond condemning and rejecting Israel’s violent attack, which coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and Passover, a major Jewish holiday.
The UK’s Minister of State Foreign Commonwealth & Development Affairs, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, said that he was “shocked to awake to the disturbing scenes of Israeli Security forces’ raid on the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem injuring many worshippers during Ramadan.”
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Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the country’s strong condemnation of Israel’s “brutal criminal practices”, describing them as a “serious escalation and a blatant infringement of the holy places” and “an extension of the policy of Judaizing Jerusalem.”
The Gulf country emphatically described the attack as a “violation” of international laws and a “provocation to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims in the world, especially in the blessed month of Ramadan.”
Other Arab countries that have condemned the Israeli police storming of Al Aqsa mosque and expressed their support for the Palestinian people include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan.
Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a similar statement, protesting the raids on the Al Aqsa mosque and the “unacceptable” attack on worshippers during Ramadan.
Calling on the international community to take action in the face of Israel’s abuses, Turkiye’s Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin vowed to “continue to oppose any attempt to change the religious and historical status of Jerusalem and Masjid Al Aqsa.”
Meanwhile, the Arab League announced holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday afternoon over Israeli forces’ raid on the Al Aqsa mosque.
Amid the chorus of condemnation and denunciation of Israeli violence and oppression in East Jerusalem and occupied Palestinian territories, observers say the latest violent attacks have raised fears that tensions could further escalate in the region and trigger more clashes.
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