Al-Jazeera / September 17, 2023
Dozens of Jewish settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on last day of Rosh Hashanah under the protection of occupation forces, the latter assaulting Palestinian worshippers.
Israeli forces have attacked Palestinian worshippers at Bab al-Silsila, one of the main entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, according to local sources.
Israeli forces imposed tight security measures on Sunday, ejecting worshippers from Al-Aqsa Mosque and intensifying their presence around it, denying access to any Palestinian below the age of 50 to clear the way for Israeli settlers on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
In celebration of Rosh Hashanah, hundreds of ultranationalist Israelis made an incursion into the Al-Aqsa courtyard through the Morocco Gate under the protection of Israeli troops, according to news outlet Al-Mayadeen.
The Jerusalem Islamic Endowments Department confirmed that the army was working to clear the compound prior to the settler incursion.
Israeli settler groups had been calling for unfettered access to the compound to celebrate Rosh Hashanah on what is known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
A number of Muslim worshippers had gathered at the holy site following dawn prayers to object to the harassment and intrusions by Israeli settlers.
Translation: Press coverage: “Settlers dance and sing on Bab as-Silsila Road after leaving Al-Aqsa Mosque in an attempt to provoke the Palestinians who were prevented from entering the mosque.”
Israeli forces “physically assaulted and beat up three worshippers”, including an elderly man and elderly woman, near Bab as-Silsila, Palestinian news agency WAFA said, adding that the three had objected to an Israeli settler blowing a horn at the entrance to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Two men were arrested inside the compound and transferred to “an unknown destination”, Al-Maydeen added.
Video footage showing settlers touring Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard was circulating on social media.
SOURCE: AL-JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
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Jewish settlers storm Al-Aqsa complex in Jerusalem to mark Jewish New Year
Middle East Monitor / September 17, 2023
A number of Palestinians arrested by Israeli forces from inside complex, local sources say.
Hundreds of Jewish settlers on Sunday forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish New Year, reports Anadolu Agency.
Jews observe the Rosh Hashanah (New Year) holiday from September 15 to September 17 this year. They will also mark the Sukkot holiday at the end of September and the Simhat Torah holiday on October 6.
In a statement, the Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department said Israeli forces had emptied the Al-Aqsa complex from Palestinian worshippers before allowing settlers in.
According to the statement, Palestinians under 50 years old were prevented from entering the site.
A number of Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces from inside the complex, local sources said.
There was no comment from the Israeli authorities on the report.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa complex is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognised by the international community.
