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<font size="1"><a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-aqsa-raid-eyewitness-account">https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-aqsa-raid-eyewitness-account</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">'It felt like the sky was falling': An eyewitness account of al-Aqsa raid</h1>May 10, 2021</div><div class="gmail-content"><div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page">
<p>Ehab Jallad, a historical researcher from Jerusalem,
was in the mosque when Israeli forces stormed in and attacked
worshippers. He describes the shocking scenes</p>
<p><img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/styles/article_page/public/images-story/2021-05-10T081802Z_936939614_RC2WCN9I2B5R_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-JERUSALEM.JPG?itok=q6Xge73K" alt="" style="margin-right: 0px;" width="476" height="318">
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<p>Israeli forces stormed into al-Aqsa, targeting worshippers and local residents with tear gas and rubber coated bullets (Reuters)</p>
<p><span>Published date:</span> 10 May 2021 16:03 UTC
<span>| </span>
<span>Last update:</span> <span id="gmail-date-updatedago">5 hours 22 mins </span> ago </p>
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<div><p><em>As told to <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/nadda-osman" target="_blank">Nadda Osman</a>.</em></p>
<p>It was a normal night, I was staying at the al-Aqsa Mosque as we do
in the last ten days of Ramadan. At around 3am, we started seeing
Israeli groups breaking into the mosque and gathering around in groups.
It felt like a warning to us.</p>
<p>As worshippers continued on with nightly prayers, the sound of people breaking in caused alarm. </p>
<p>We prayed Fajr (dawn prayers) at around 4am and watched the settlers
as they continued marching in, carrying with them stones and whatever
materials they could to form a barrier. Israeli forces were positioned
in strategic locations, targeting worshippers in the area. </p>
<p>While young people were preparing for their seminar at 8am, Israeli
police started targeting us with snipers using rubber bullets. Some of
the young people reacted with stone-throwing. </p>
<p>The Israeli forces walked all around the area of the western side of
the mosque, breaking everything they could, including cameras in the
surrounding area. Solidarity between Palestinians was strong, and they
gathered to support each other as they struggled to breathe due to the
tear gas. </p>
<p>I was near the Qibli Mosque when the police started attacking
us. They were positioned in rows, and were targeting us with tear gas.
They were aiming to drag people to the north side, and from there to the
gate to evacuate the mosque.</p>
<p>It was terrible. Within minutes, it felt like the sky was falling
down on us. I wanted to try and escape the rubber-coated bullets, so I
hid, in order to be out of sight.</p>
<p>Around me, people could not help but shout about the savageness of
the police and the amount of ammunition used in the mosque. In many
cases, people were beaten while they were offering voluntary prayers.
There was no respect for the elderly, women or the young. </p>
<p>The tear gas caused us breathing issues, and the elderly were
struggling to run away, suffocated with the tear gas and unable to see
clearly before them. </p>
<div>
<p><img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/Screenshot%202021-05-10%20at%2016.12.52.jpg" alt="alaqsa jerusalem" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="476" height="324"></p>
Palestinians escape tear gas and rubber-coated bullets after Israeli forces raided al-Aqsa (AFP)</div>
<p>My mother, who is in her late 60s, was struggling to run
away after finishing her prayers at the Mercy Gate. The use of tear gas
in a closed location made it difficult for everyone around to breathe.
Many older women like my mother suffered as a result.</p>
<p>Many were taken by surprise.</p>
<p>Tensions were growing over planned evictions in Jerusalem’s Sheikh
Jarrah neighbourhood, and many anticipated some unrest as Israelis
prepared to celebrate Jerusalem Day, which commemorates Israel's capture
of East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. But Palestinians gathered at
al-Aqsa to pray, thinking they would be left in peace.</p>
<p>The attack was unexpected. We did not think that the Israeli
soldiers would break into the mosque. Sound grenades were used in mass
quantities, we didn't know where we were being attacked from and the
sounds were horrible. We had no idea what to do.</p>
<p>Although a shock, the raid has not broken the spirit of Palestinians, and they are determined to keep resisting. </p>
<p>Many Palestinians came to support each other, and ended up getting
wounded themselves in order to help those who had been beaten or shot
at. Everyone just wanted to help.</p>
<div>
<p><img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/Screenshot%202021-05-10%20at%2016.09.21.jpg" alt="all aqsa jerusalem" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="476" height="339"></p>
Palestinians were quick to return to al-Aqsa following the raid to clean up the damage (AFP)</div>
<p>Palestinians are only getting stronger; they came back to the mosque despite being barred by Israeli soldiers at the gates.</p>
<p>Following the raid, the mosque was littered with rocks, shards of glass, and the carpets were stained. </p>
<p>However, despite the violence and unrest caused by the raid,
Palestinians were quick to return to the mosque to start cleaning it
again. </p>
<p>Ramadan is still not over, and we want the mosque to be returned to
its original condition, so we can come back and perform night prayers,
particularly in the final few days before Eid.</p>
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