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Tensions Escalate as Israeli Crowds Enter Al-Aqsa Compound and West Bank Villages During Jewish Holiday

Tuesday 13 August 2024 - 14:45

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In recent developments that have heightened regional tensions, large groups of Israelis entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem and several villages in the occupied West Bank during the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av. These incidents have sparked concerns about the delicate status quo in these sensitive areas.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led thousands of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, on Tuesday. Despite longstanding agreements prohibiting Jewish religious rites at the site, Ben-Gvir and his followers performed prayers under the protection of Israeli police. The minister used the occasion to make provocative statements, vowing to "defeat Hamas" in Gaza.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity, is also revered in Judaism as its holiest place. Tisha B'Av commemorates the destruction of ancient Jewish temples, adding religious significance to the day’s events.

An official from the Waqf, the Jordanian body responsible for the site's custodianship, reported that over 2,000 Israelis entered the compound, singing Jewish hymns. The official expressed concern about attempts to alter the site’s status, stating, “Minister Ben-Gvir, instead of maintaining the status quo at the mosque, is supervising the Judaisation operation and trying to change the situation inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Simultaneously, in the West Bank, Israeli settlers organized marches to mark the holiday. Local media reported these actions as attempts to assert claims over Palestinian land. In the village of at-Tawani, residents described the settler presence as the largest they had ever witnessed.

These events unfolded against a backdrop of escalating violence in the region since October. The Palestinian Authority reports that over 624 Palestinians, including 145 children, have been killed in the West Bank over the past 10 months. Thousands more have faced arrest or displacement due to home demolitions and land confiscations.

Early Tuesday morning, Israeli forces conducted raids in Ramallah and el-Bireh, resulting in the death of a young Palestinian man, Moataz Sarsour, and injuries to at least four others. The raids targeted homes of Palestinian prisoners and included the demolition of two apartments.

Hassan Barari, a professor of international affairs at Qatar University, suggests that Israel is intensifying its actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, taking advantage of the world's focus on the Gaza conflict. He argues that settlers view this as an opportunity to alter the status quo, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Barari criticizes the international community’s response, describing it as either "complicit or indifferent" to the situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He notes that Western leaders often issue condemnations without taking substantial action, leading to a sense of impunity for Israeli actions in these areas.

As tensions continue to rise, the events of Tisha B'Av have underscored the complex and volatile nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly in religiously significant areas. The actions taken by Israeli officials and settlers, coupled with the ongoing violence in the West Bank, have raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in the region.