Occupied Jerusalem – Israeli occupation forces raided the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem, attacked, injured and arrested worshipers, earlier on Monday, to make room for settler intrusion.
For the second day in a row, at around 7am, local sources said, the Israeli forces raided the holy site, attacked and chased the worshipers in the courtyards of the mosque, including women and children, to empty the mosque of its worshipers in order to secure the entry of the colonial settlers to the holy site to mark the so-called Passover holiday.
The forces also fired rubber-coated metal bullets and shattered the windows of the southernmost building inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque where dozens of worshipers were inside.
The Israeli forces also blockaded hundreds of Muslim worshipers inside prayer halls.
During the raid and in the aftermath of the atack, around 561 Israeli settlers stormed the holy site and performed provocative Talmudic prayers. They entered the mosque through the Al-Mughrabi Gate which is under full-Israeli control.
This is the third raid and aggressive assault to be launched by the Israeli occupation forces in less than 72 hours and for the second day in a row.
Earlier on Friday, the forces broke into the holy site and brutally attacked the worshipers who gathered to perform the Al-Fajr prayer, injuring around 153 and arresting 400.
On Sunday morning, 545 Israeli colonial settlers also broke into the Al-Aqsa mosque, protected by well-armed forces who emptied the site after attacking and arresting worshipers, injuring at least 19 and arresting 9.
There had been calls by extremist Jewish groups to storm the compound this week in large numbers starting Sunday to mark the Passover and to perform a Passover sacrifice, in violation of the status quo agreements on religious practice at the site.
