Israeli Forces Raided al-Aqsa Mosque for Two Consecutive Days
The Claim
According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muslims were able to pray peacefully at the al-Aqsa Mosque today, and Israeli forces had not attacked or invaded the mosque in the previous few days.
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According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official Twitter account, thousands of Muslim worshipers prayed peacefully at the al-Aqsa Mosque today, April 17, 2022.
Yet, another Israeli government Twitter account claimed that Israeli police did not enter the al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, April 15, 2022.
The tweet was shared by other Israeli accounts on Twitter, including the account of the Israeli army's spokesman, Avichai Adraee.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation found the circulating claims false.
Earlier today, hundreds of Israeli soldiers invaded the al-Aqsa Mosque and courtyard, injuring, attacking, and arresting dozens of Palestinian worshipers.
Lethal Force
According to Wafa Agency, at least five Palestinians were transferred to the hospital today after dozens of Israeli soldiers raided the holy mosque. Local sources also reported that the vast majority of Palestinians injured by Israeli forces were classified as seriously injured and concentrated in the upper part of the body.
On Friday, Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades into the mosque's courtyard and prayer halls, injuring more than 152 worshippers and arresting at least 400.
Footage From al-Aqsa Spark the Internet
The footage of Israeli forces storming Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque and documenting violence against Palestinians has sparked international outrage.
Israeli soldiers entered the al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, April 15, 2022, and were filmed arresting Palestinian worshippers, contrary to Israeli claims.
Ramadan Coincides Jewish Passover
Tensions between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the al-Aqsa Mosque are rising as Ramadan this year coincides with the Jewish Passover and plans to sacrifice animals in the mosque as part of their rituals. Palestinians believe they were protecting the al-Aqsa after a Jewish group called on people to bring animals to the site to sacrifice them for Passover, offering cash rewards to those who succeeded or even tried.
Non-Muslims are permitted to visit the al-Aqsa but are not permitted to pray there as part of an agreement between Jordan – the custodian of Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem – and Israel. However, Israel has violated the agreement.
‘A Dangerous Escalation’
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, described the violence that erupted at the al-Aqsa on Friday and Sunday as a "dangerous escalation," adding that the Israeli government would bear sole responsibility for the consequences.
Furthermore, several Muslim-majority countries, including Morocco, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, strongly condemned the raid.
Meta Censors Palestinian Content
Sada Social, a Palestinian social media monitoring group, said it had detected several violations against Palestinian news content that did not violate Facebook's policies.
Sada Social condemned Meta's attack on Palestinian news pages and accounts for their coverage of recent Israeli attacks at the al-Aqsa Mosque during Fajr prayer on Ramadan's second Friday.
Without warning, Facebook deleted the al-Qastal News page, one of the most prominent pages focused on Jerusalem-related events, despite its strict adherence to Facebook's publishing standards.
Additional reporting by Faten Elwan & Misbar's Arabic Team
