Israeli forces arrest at least 40 Palestinians during settlers assault on Al-Aqsa

At least 40 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli police at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Thursday as Israeli settlers stormed the sanctuary, said the Jerusalem detainees' families committee.

"Our lawyers are still searching for the names and the exact number of people detained in different detention centres," Amjad Abu Assab, spokesperson for the committee told The New Arab.

"The Israeli police arrested all young male worshipers as they came out of Al-Aqsa compound after Israeli settlers stormed the site," Abu Assab said. "We will wait to see if any of the detainees will face charges because until now the Israeli police isn't giving us any information."

Israeli occupation forces assault a Palestinian girl near the gates of Al-Aqsa mosque. pic.twitter.com/cg0b94u16i

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 5, 2022

Israeli settlers broke into the Al-Aqsa compound on Thursday morning after days of preparation and raised the Israeli flag inside the compound. The storming is the first since the Israeli police halted all settlers from entering the Al-Aqsa compound during the last week of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"Around 7:00 am the Israeli police raided the compound and began shooting rubber bullets wounding three worshipers," Sheikh Omar Kiswani, director of Al-Aqsa mosque told The New Arab.

"The police then headed to the mosque and broke the windows beside the historical Saladin tribune, and fired rubber bullets inside to keep worshipers locked in," Sheikh Kiswani added. "They locked the doors with metal chains and forcibly evacuated people in the courtyards with batons, hurting at least four people."

Israeli occupation forces raid Al-Aqsa Mosque and assault the Palestinian worshipers to secure the settlers’ storming of the mosque, this morning. pic.twitter.com/b6dNRBrdnm

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) May 5, 2022

"They beat people with batons and it was harmful," Waad Abbas, a young Palestinian who witnessed the Israeli assault told The New Arab.

"I watched it all from my grandmother's house window that directly overlooks Al-Aqsa courtyards," Abbas said. "I saw at least ten people being injured and two being taken in ambulances." 

"The police didn't allow the settlers to make their usual long tour, but instead they stopped at half the distance and cut it short as if they didn't want the storming to last longer," she added. 

#WATCH ||🎥
Israeli occupation forces stormed the Al Qibli prayer hall at Al-Aqsa Mosque, firing sound grenades and rubber bullets toward the Palestinian worshippers.#IsraeliCrimes pic.twitter.com/r09P3K9m2Y

— Wafaa Abdulhadi (@Wafaa_bdalhady) May 5, 2022

"The Israeli government doesn't want to escalate things at Al-Aqsa, especially after the confrontations during Ramadan," the head of the Jerusalem Anti-Judaisation Commission, Nasser Al-Hedmi told The New Arab.

"On the other hand, Israeli settler organizations calling for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple don't mind escalating the situation," Al-Hedmi pointed out.

"The government tries to please the extremist temple-settler movements, which is an important avenue of support for the current government of Neftali Bennet, without risking a major escalation," he added, stressing that "this game can't last for long, and at any moment a major confrontation might break out especially since Palestinians in Jerusalem are fed up with the overall situation."

The damage resulted to Al-Aqsa mosque due to the heavy firing of rubber bullets by the Israeli occupation forces. pic.twitter.com/lKL32GiMFt

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 5, 2022

On Wednesday, Israeli police banned the late-night call to prayer at Al-Aqsa as the Israeli national anthem played during an Israeli memorial event. Palestinian minister of religious affairs, Hatem Al-Bakri, condemned the move accusing Israel of "wanting to start a religious war."

Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa compound repeatedly during the second half of Ramadan, in April, under the protection of Israeli police.