Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday morning, firing rubber-coated bullets, tear gas, and sound bombs at Palestinian worshippers, wounding hundreds.
The latest violence comes as occupied East Jerusalem braces for a planned Jewish nationalist march through the city later on Monday. The annual Jerusalem Day Flag March marks the day East Jerusalem was occupied in 1967 and later annexed by Israel – in a move not recognised by the majority of the international community.
‘They were firing rubber bullets randomly at everyone’
Nour Mtour, a Palestinian woman who spent the night inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, witnessed the beginning of the crackdown by Israeli forces early Monday.
“Snipers went on the roof of the gate at the mosque compound and began to shoot rubber bullets at everyone – women, men, everyone,” Mtour told Al Jazeera’s Dareen Jubeh. “At the same time a huge number of police forces invaded from different directions.”
“I saw the Israeli police attacking the paramedics with batons who were doing their job. They were firing rubber bullets randomly at everyone. The police wanted to empty Al-Aqsa.”
The 35-year-old said a lot of people were injured.
“I tried to help a wounded man who got hit by a bullet in his head, but I couldn’t reach him as police fired a tear gas canister at me,” she said.
Red Crescent: 215 injured, four in critical condition
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the number of people wounded has risen to 215, with 153 hospitalised and at least four in critical condition.
A Palestinian medic told Al Jazeera a worshipper was shot in the neck with a rubber bullet.
Abdullah Idris, a Palestinian stuck inside the Al Aqsa Mosque, told Al Jazeera the compound is a “battlefield”.
“The worshippers are suffering from tear gas inhalation,” he said, coughing. “There is no respite except to get close to the mosque’s windows to breathe some fresh air. Medical teams are still prevented from accessing the wounded.”Sheikh Raed Da’na, an official with the Islamic Waqf, told Al Jazeera he was beaten up by Israeli forces.
“They started kicking me and pushed me to the ground even after I showed them my work ID,” he said. “They then ejected me from the compound.”-Al Jazeera
