2024-03-11 18:00:00
Al-Aqsa, Islam-Judeo-Christian holy land Israeli police suppress Muslims with batons Hamas “rallies Muslims”… Concerns regarding war escalation
Israeli police use batons to suppress Muslims who were trying to worship. Muslims near Al-Aqsa Mosque, an Islamic holy site in East Jerusalem, on the 10th. They gathered for prayer on the first night of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan (left photo). A video of Israeli police officers wielding batons to subdue people trying to enter a mosque has spread on local social media, raising concerns regarding an escalation of war in the Middle East. Jerusalem = AP Newsis/social media ‘X (old Twitter)’ video capture
On the 10th, when the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan began, Israeli police and Muslims clashed at Al-Aqsa, a joint holy site for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity in East Jerusalem. In particular, the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which is at war with Israel, ordered Muslims to gather at Al-Aqsa, and on this day, the Israeli police also wielded batons in the suppression process, so the possibility that this might lead to large-scale bloodshed cannot be ruled out. There are concerns that this incident may serve as a catalyst for escalation of the war in the Middle East.
According to the Times of Israel, dozens of Muslims clashed with Israeli police on this day while entering the grounds of the mosque (Al-Aqsa Mosque), one of the three holiest sites of Islam, to pray on the first night of Ramadan.
Videos of police officers wielding batons to suppress Muslims are being posted one following another on local social media. When regarding 10 police officers swung their batons in an alley, Muslims were seen quickly running away in the opposite direction, and some were seen protesting once morest the police even while being hit by the batons. Israel claimed, “Only Muslim women over 40 were allowed to worship, but the men violated the control guidelines.”
In addition to this mosque, Al-Aqsa, which is approximately 140,000 m2 in size, also has a Christian church. East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, was Jordanian territory until the Third Middle East War in 1967. Israel, which took over this place following winning the war, intensified its oppression every time it clashed with the Arab world, causing controversy.
In particular, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gbir, considered the most extreme right-wing figure, visited Al-Aqsa three times last year alone and claimed, “We are the owners.” Some say that his actions were the main reason for Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel in October of the same year. Hamas named the surprise attack ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’.
Hamas issued a statement on the 9th, saying, “We will confront Israel on all fronts inside and outside of Palestine,” and urged Muslims to gather at Al-Aqsa. In other words, we cannot rule out the possibility that some hard-line Muslims, whose religious beliefs are heightened during Ramadan, will clash with the Israeli military and police once more.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said in an interview with Politico, an American political media outlet, on the same day that he would press ahead with a ground war in Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, despite strong opposition from the United States, and claimed, “We will go there (Rafah) and not leave.” The Times of Israel reported on the 9th that there was a possibility that Marwan Issa, a high-ranking Hamas official who was hiding in Nuseirat, central Gaza, may have been killed in an Israeli military airstrike. Issa is a close associate of Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif, who led last year’s surprise attack on Israel.
Al-Aqsa East An Arabic term referring to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are all considered sacred, so religious conflicts are frequent. In particular, the mosque here, ‘Al-Aqsa Mosque’, is considered one of the three holiest sites of Islam.
Cairo = Correspondent Kim Ki-yoon pep@donga.com
Reporter Lee Cheong-ah clearlee@donga.com
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