'Crossed all red lines'
Speaking to Middle East Eye in Jerusalem, Palestinian activist Hanady Halawani described an alarming situation at al-Aqsa Mosque, and expressed her dismay at the number of Arab states who have recently normalised relations with Israel.
“There have been raids on the 28th night of Ramadan, which started even before this date... When there are attacks like the ones at Damascus Gate of course people are going to be afraid, especially children, women and everyone going to al-Aqsa.”
Hanadi said many had been wounded on Monday, and journalists covering the raid had also been targeted by Israeli forces.
“This is not the first time the occupation does this... they were intensely targeting people with sound grenades, weapons and tear gas. The injuries caused were all mainly to the head and eyes... it was clearly intentional. There were huge numbers of injuries.”
She added that Israeli police stormed al-Aqsa’s Qibli Mosque as people were praying.
“We have reached a new point now, and it’s very dangerous. The occupation has crossed all the red lines and all the feelings of Muslims. Al-Aqsa, Ramadan, women: there are no lines which have not been crossed,” she said.
“It seems like the occupation has been given a green light to do whatever they please, particularly after the normalisation of relations with some Arab countries,” she added.
“To every country that has normalised relations with Israel - you have allowed al-Aqsa to be raided. Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred to us, all of us, not just Palestinians.”
Basem Zidani, a Palestinian journalist in Jerusalem, told MEE the scenes inside al-Aqsa were devastating.
He noted that Palestinian protesters had succeeded in delaying an Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the eviction of families from Sheikh Jarrah, and that may have angered authorities.
"Palestinian wins in removing restrictions to al-Aqsa earlier in Ramadan, postponing court ruling on Sheikh Jarrah evictions, and the Israeli police chief banning settlers from entering the mosque have provoked Israeli forces into carrying out this crackdown."