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Israeli Forces Storm Aqsa Mosque
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Stun bombs were fired inside the mosque
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OCCUPIED
JERUSALEM, April 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - At least 70
Palestinians were injured when Israeli forces stormed into Al-Aqsa
mosque compound and clashed with worshippers Friday, April 2.
Mosque
director Mohamed Hussein told al-Jazeera that Israeli occupation
forces opened tear gas, sound grenades and rubber bullets at the
faithful unprovoked.
Stun
bombs were fired inside the mosque, in one of the most serious
incidents to break out at the site in recent months, reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
It
is a “dangerous escalation” and a “provocation” by Israel,
Palestinian negotiations minister Saeb Erakat said.
After
a standoff that lasted approximately one hour, those trapped inside
exited the mosque peacefully and police detained several youths.
“People
are getting out quietly, the police are arresting some people,”
Sheikh Hussein said.
“But
soldiers are still inside the holy compound. I cannot believe they
fired sound grenades inside the mosque. It is truly unacceptable,”
he said.
The
Israeli forces claimed that the storming began after young
Palestinians started throwing stones on Jewish worshippers at the
“Wailing Wall” below and at police deployed nearby.
But
Palestinians denied the account, saying the clashes were intentional
by the army.
An
AFP correspondent, outside the compound, saw fewer than ten people
been ferried away by ambulance and it was not immediately known how
serious the injuries were.
Several
journalists were also beaten by police, one of whom had his camera
smashed and film confiscated, the correspondent said.
Al-Jazeera
put the number of casualties at 70, saying dozens others were also
injured.
The
prayers coincided with the second Friday since Hamas spiritual leader
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was assassinated in an Israeli air strike in Gaza
City on March 22.
The
highest-profile assassination of the Intifadah sparked the outrage of
the Palestinians and pledges of bloody revenge from resistance groups.
Scores
of demonstrations were held throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Friday to protest the killing.
The
Intifadah erupted in September 2000 after a controversial visit to the
mosque compound by then Israeli opposition leader and current Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon.
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Wounded Palestinians (AFP)
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On
Friday, February 27, at least 24 Palestinians were
injured when Israeli troops swept into Al-Aqsa mosque
compound after the weekly prayers for which up to 35,000 worshippers
had gathered.
Al-Aqsa
Mosque is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during
prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after Al Kaabah in Makkah
and Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
Its
significance has been reinforced by the incident of Al Isra'a and Al
Mi'raj - the night journey from Makkah to Al-Quds and the ascent to
the Heavens by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Archeologists
said the ongoing Israeli excavations have already weakened the
foundations of the mosque, cautioning it would not stand a powerful
earthquake.
A
part of the road leading to one of the mosque’s main gates collapsed
earlier in the month due to the ongoing Israeli excavations.
More
Casualties
In
the meantime, two Palestinians were killed, with one gunned down when
Israeli forces swept into the Gaza Strip, one day earlier.
A
16-year-old Palestinian was also shot dead by Israeli troops in the
southern West Bank town of Bethlehem Friday, Palestinian medical
sources and witnesses said.
Nasser
Issa Hajahjeh, 16, was hit in the chest and head when troops opened
fire on a group of stone throwers, the sources said.
The
clashes took place near Rachel's Tomb, a site in Bethlehem holy to
both Jews and Muslims but to which only Jews have access.
The
deaths brought to 3,888 the number of people killed since the
beginning of the Intifadah at the end of September 2000, including
2,922 Palestinians and 897 Israelis.
Israeli
troops detained 10 Palestinian teenagers overnight in Yaabad, west of
the northern West Bank town of Jenin, Palestinian security sources
said Friday.
Threats
In
another escalation, Sharon renewed threats to Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat Friday, suggesting the Palestinian leader was “not
immune” from assassination.
Sharon
was asked by the Israeli daily Ha’aretz whether Arafat and
the head of the Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah might be on
Israel's list of leaders to assassinate.
“I
wouldn't suggest either of them feels immune ... Anyone who kills a
Jew or harms an Israeli citizen, or sends people to kill Jews, is a
marked man, period," said the Israeli premier, in one of his most
threatening remarks to date.
Sharon
repeated that Arafat could be targeted in a series of interviews with
the Israeli media ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Arafat
has been confined by the Israeli occupation forces to his battered
headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah since December 2001.
The
Israeli security cabinet approved in principle in September to
“remove” Arafat from Ramallah with one minister even suggesting
that assassination was one of the options.
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