Islamic authorities say greater than 1,100 Israelis encroached on Al-Aqsa Mosque compound throughout provocative annual parade.
1000’s of Israelis have joined a march by way of occupied East Jerusalem, with some attacking Palestinians and shouting racist slogans, as a part of an annual demonstration marking Israel’s occupation of town.
Footage shared by native journalists on Wednesday confirmed younger males and youngsters chanting, “Dying to the Arabs” and “Could your village burn” on the so-called “Flag March” on Wednesday.
The parade has come amid heightened tensions as Israel pushes on with its struggle on Gaza, which has killed greater than 36,500 individuals, largely ladies and youngsters, in accordance with Palestinian authorities.
The demonstrators danced and waved Israeli flags all through town.
The Jerusalem Waqf, the Islamic authority that oversees the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, mentioned greater than 1,100 Israelis encroached on the positioning, recognized to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount.
The AFP information company revealed pictures of Israeli demonstrators assaulting a Palestinian journalist within the Outdated Metropolis. A number of Israeli shops reported that Haaretz reporter Nir Hasson was additionally attacked.
Reporting from the Jordanian capital Amman, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan mentioned this yr’s march seems to be extra violent than in earlier years.
“Nearly as quickly because the ultranationalist individuals arrived into occupied East Jerusalem, they began attacking Palestinians. Younger children had been attacking older Palestinians – we’ve seen footage of that,” Khan mentioned.
“They had been attacking retailers; they had been operating into the retailers. The Israeli police merely misplaced management. The truth is, what they did was they requested the Palestinians to easily shutter their retailers as a result of they couldn’t management these individuals.”
In line with Israeli media studies, Israel deployed 3,000 cops to the march and urged demonstrators to “keep away from any bodily or verbal violence”.
AFP footage confirmed demonstrators holding indicators rebuking the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ), the highest United Nations courtroom, which has ordered Israel to halt its assault in Rafah.
“The ICJ is corrupt, working with Hamas,” one signal learn.
Far-right Israeli Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attended the march and referred to as on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “be sturdy” in an implicit criticism of a proposal for a truce deal to halt the struggle on Gaza.
“The Damascus Gate is ours. The Temple Mount is ours. And God keen full victory is ours,” Ben-Gvir mentioned, in accordance with Occasions of Israel, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound – the third-holiest web site in Islam.
Israel captured East Jerusalem through the 1967 struggle and subsequently annexed it in 1980 in a transfer not recognised by the worldwide neighborhood.
Al-Haram al-Sharif has remained underneath the administration of the Jordan-appointed Waqf and solely Muslims are allowed to wish on the compound.
Nonetheless, Israel’s safety forces typically permit Israelis to raid the positioning. In previous years, Israeli forces have additionally attacked worshippers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The second Intifada, the Palestinian rebellion that noticed years of protests and violent assaults, began in 2000 after Israeli politician Ariel Sharon made a go to to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Hamas additionally cited Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa as one of many foremost causes for its “Al-Aqsa Floods” assault in opposition to Israel on October 7, when fighters from Hamas led an assault that killed not less than 1,139 individuals, largely civilians, and seized about 250 others as captives.
On Wednesday, Hamas decried the Israeli parade in Jerusalem, calling it a “blatant aggression” in opposition to Arabs and Muslims.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh mentioned the parade “re-asserts that Jerusalem is the core of the battle”.
“Our individuals won’t relaxation till the occupation is gone and the institution of an unbiased Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he mentioned in a press release.