Israeli forces on Tuesday night brutally assaulted dozens of Palestinian worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied east Jerusalem, forcibly removing them from the site where they were peacefully observing the holy month of Ramadan. Dozens of heavily armed officers stormed the site, used stun grenades, and fired tear gas into the Qibli prayer hall, the silver-domed building where hundreds of men, women, elderly, and children stayed overnight to pray. Some eyewitnesses said that rubber-coated steel bullets were also fired.
Israeli officers then beat worshippers with batons and riot guns, injuring many before arresting them. Their conditions were not immediately known. Videos from inside the mosque showed Israeli officers repeatedly beating people with batons while they appeared to be on the ground. Meanwhile, cries for help from women and children could be heard in the background.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that it received multiple reports of injuries at the Al-Aqsa Mosque but was unable to estimate the number of casualties as Israeli forces prevented medics from reaching the wounded. A medic was attacked by an Israeli police officer and wounded outside one of the mosque’s gates.
Israeli Police issued a statement saying that they arrested dozens of “rioters” from the Al-Aqsa Mosque to restore order at the site. The Palestinian Commission for Detainee Affairs estimates that between 400 and 500 men have been arrested.
After the assault, local mosques around Jerusalem called on people through loudspeakers to demonstrate in support of those assaulted. Clashes broke out between residents and police at several locations in the city.
Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank to condemn the assault and confront Israeli troops at checkpoints and military posts. Demonstrations were also held in Gaza, Umm al-Fahm (a Palestinian city in Israel), and the Jordanian capital of Amman.
After the assault, Israeli forces closed the Old City and Al-Aqsa. The mosque was briefly opened for dawn prayer around 5 a.m., but police denied access to anyone under 40. Israeli forces then again dispersed worshippers and forced them out of the mosque to prepare the way for settler incursions that began around 7 a.m.