[News] “IOF Raid Al-Aqsa Mosque, 153 Palestinians Wounded, including 3 Journalists and 3 Paramedics and At Least 400 Detained”

[Anti-Imperialist News]

imemc.org
<https://imemc.org/article/pchr-iof-raid-al-aqsa-mosque-153-palestinians-wounded-including-3-journalists-and-3-paramedics-and-at-least-400-detained/>
“IOF Raid Al-Aqsa Mosque, 153 Palestinians Wounded, including 3 Journalists
and 3 Paramedics and At Least 400 Detained”
April 15, 2022
------------------------------

*The Palestinian Center For Human Rights (PCHR)*
<https://pchrgaza.org/en/iof-raid-al-aqsa-mosque-153-palestinians-wounded-including-3-journalists-and-3-paramedics-and-at-least-400-detained/>:
At
least 153 Palestinians were wounded, including six in critical state, three
journalists, and three paramedics, during the Israeli occupation forces
(IOF) raid and extensive attacks at dawn today on thousands of worshipers
at al-Aqsa Mosque and its yards in occupied East Jerusalem. IOF launched a
mass-arrest campaign after its breach into the holy mosque, at least 400
worshippers were arrested.

As per PCHR investigations, as al-Aqsa Mosque’s gates were opened and
thousands of worshipers arrived for al-Fajir (dawn) prayers on Friday, 15
April 2022, the atmosphere was extremely tense due to the heavy IOF
presence in the area, and on the rooftops near al-Silsila and al-Magharba
gates.

Thousands of worshippers gathered and prayed; after al-Fajir prayer, young
men prepared wooden roadblocks around the al-Qibli prayer hall in
anticipation of a possible IOF raid.

They fired firecrackers towards al-Magharba gate where IOF stationed.
Immediately, IOF raided the entire Mosque with hundreds of troops; the
soldiers started shooting live bullets, tear gas canisters and stun
grenades aggressively and randomly. As a result, dozens of worshipers and
gathered civilians were wounded.

All the while, clashes erupted between young Palestinian men who threw
stones and pieces of wood at IOF who continued to fire rubber-bullets,
sounds bombs, and tear gas canisters; the latter also assaulted the
worshipers all over the holy Mosque’s grounds and shut all pathways leading
to the holy site, banning medical crews entry, and hindering ambulances’
access to Bab al-Asbat area to transport the wounded to hospitals.

IOF also attacked al-Aqsa Mosque guards, medical and media crews, and
paramedics, with rubber-bullets, and clubs; IOF threatened the rescue crews
attempting to reach the wounded inside the Mosque and confiscated the key
to several ambulances. IOF also surrounded al-Aqsa Mosque’s clinic while
offering first aid to dozens of wounded persons and fired tear gas
canisters at it.

Earlier today, IOF troops mounted the roof of al-Qibli Mosque shattered the
top windows, and installed snipers on top. They shot live bullets,
rubber-bullets, and tear gas canisters inside the mosque where hundreds
were worshiping and praying.

Minutes later, large numbers of IOF entered the mosque, and forced
worshippers to lay down. The soldiers physically and violently assaulted
the praying crown, and arrested hundreds. This is a precedent for IOF
attacks on Palestinian worshippers.

The attacks and raid lasted for hours. At approximately 10:00, IOF took
hundreds of hand-cuffed arrestees through al-Magharibah gate, searched, and
inspected them near the Western Wall. Minutes later, IOF reentered the holy
Mosque, and forced worshippers to evacuate, pushed and assaulted the women
present in the area as well, causing clashed to reignite.

Meanwhile, settlers tried to raid al-Aqsa Mosque carrying sheep upon calls
from settlement organizations to slaughter them for ritual sacrifices in
the mosque, but the Israeli police stopped them.

Due to IOF’s widescale suppression operation that continued for hours, 152
Palestinians were injured and taken to al-Makassed Hospital and the Red
Crescent field hospital as announced by the Red Crescent Society in
Jerusalem.  According to PCHR fieldworkers’ follow-up, 3 paramedics were
among those injured; one was injured with a rubber bullet in the neck and
the other 2 sustained fractures in their hands.  Also, 3 journalists were
wounded and identified as Mohammed al-Samarin, Nirseen Salem, who were both
injured with rubber bullets, and photojournalist Rami al-Khatib, who
sustained injuries in the head and hands after IOF severely beat him with
batons.

Moreover, 2 of al-Aqsa guards were injured with rubber bullets in their
eyes.  Soliman Turkman, the Nursing Director at al-Makassed Hospital, said
to PCHR’s fieldworker that at least 75 persons injured arrived at the
hospital, including one in critical condition, 5 admitted to the Operating
Room immediately, and 35 admitted to the hospital’s departments.  Turkman
added that injuries varied and included women, children, and elderlies.

Lawyer Feras al-Jabrini said that IOF arrested more than 400 Palestinians
from al-Aqsa mosque; most of them were in al-Qibli Chapel and took them in
buses from Bab al-Magharba area to Matsuda Adumim Interrogation Centre.

It should be noted that on Thursday afternoon, 14 April 2022, around 2000
worshippers performed I’tikaf in the Qibli Chapel in al-Aqsa Mosque despite
IOF’s harassment and heavy deployment in the mosque yards, at its gates and
around it to.

This was upon national calls to mobilize on Friday dawn, 15 April 2022,
against settlers’ attempts to hold sacrifices after calls from settlement
organizations for the Jewish Passover holiday, which start today and
continue for a week, provoking extensive outrage among Palestinians.
Therefore, the Israeli authorities announced to stop any sacrifice attempts.

PCHR strongly condemns IOF’s suppression of the Palestinian worshippers and
raid and desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque and its chapels as well as firing
live and rubber bullets, sound bombs and teargas canisters inside it.  PCHR
warns of the serious repercussions of the escalating violence and settlers’
conduct that is backed by IOF’s official protection.

PCHR reiterates that East Jerusalem is an occupied city, and the Israeli
authorities’ measures taken after the occupation of the City in 1967 would
not change its legal status as an occupied territory.

PCHR also reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949
Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1;
i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances
and their obligations.

PCHR believes that the international community’s silence conspiracy
encourages Israel to commit more violations of international human rights
law and international humanitarian law, including creating a Jewish
majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20220415/411b84b2/attachment.htm>