Leaders around the world condemned the brutal, inhuman attack by Israeli forces on Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for the second night in a row, as fears grow of an escalation in violence. Dozens of armed Israeli officers entered the site while nearly 20,000 worshippers were still performing the Taraweeh prayer.
On April 4 night, dozens of heavily armed officers stormed the site, used stun grenades and fired tear gas into the Qibli prayer hall – the building with the silver dome – where hundreds of men, women, elderly people, and children were staying overnight to pray. Some eyewitnesses said rubber-coated steel bullets were also fired.
On April 5, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked and appalled” by images of Israeli security forces beating people inside the mosque.Videos from inside the mosque showed Israeli officers repeatedly hitting people with batons while they appeared to be lying on the floor. Meanwhile, cries for help from women and children could be heard in the background.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres viewed images of the “violence and beating” within the holy site, and found it distressing. “Places of worship should only be used for peaceful religious observances,” he added.
The White House said it was “extremely concerned” by the continuing violence and urged all sides to avoid further escalation.
“It’s imperative, now more than ever, that both Israelis and Palestinians work together to de-escalate this tension and to restore a sense of calm,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Trampling on the Al-Aqsa Mosque is our red line.”
Israeli police raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque are “unacceptable,” Erdogan said, calling on Israel to abandon steps that are fuelling tensions.
“The intrusions and threats against the sanctity and historical significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as Palestinians’ freedom of religion and life must cease,” Erdogan said.
The Islamic world should be united against Israel’s attacks in Palestine, Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart on April 7.
Türkiye’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin called on the international community to put pressure on Tel Aviv over the incident. Kalin said the latest attacks on Al-Aqsa and arrests of Palestinian civilians were a means for the Israeli government to “cover up its own internal predicament”, referring to weeks-long unrest over a judicial overhaul proposal by the Netanyahuadministration.
The Turkish official also stressed that Ankara would continue to “oppose any attempt to change the religious and historical status of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government was “extremely concerned with the inflamed rhetoric coming out of the Israeli government”.
“We need to see the Israeli government shifting in its approach,” said Trudeau. “We need to see a de-escalation of violence and people should be living in peace and prosperity in the region.”
The UAE said Israel’s actions risked “exacerbating tension and instability in the region”.
Iran has called for an emergency session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation in Palestine in the wake of incursions and raids by Israeli forces.In a telephone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, denounced Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem.
Raisi told Widodo that “supporting” the rights of Palestinians and “fighting” Israel is an “unchangeable principle in the structure of the Islamic Ummah,” describing Palestine as a “beating heart of the Islamic world”.
Raisi further stressed that unity of the Islamic world is essential to “confront Israeli aggression” while reaffirming Iran’s support to efforts at strengthening unity between Muslim countries.
The head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, Hashem Safieddine, said on April 6, “Targeting of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel will inflame the region.” He added in brief remarks that he gave to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV channel, that the “Zionists should know that Al-Aqsa Mosque is not alone; rather, behind it are hundreds of millions of Muslims who are ready to die for it.”
Germany’s Foreign Ministry, on April 5, expressed concern over the Israeli raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Ministry spokesperson, Christofer Burger urged all sides to “do everything possible to calm down the situation,” saying the protection of civilians should always be the priority.
On the other hand, the German Central Council of Muslims denounced the Israeli raids and attacks on worshippers. “We condemn any use of force and call on the Israeli security forces, together with the guardians of the Holy Place, to do everything possible to ensure that this tense situation does not escalate any further,” the Berlin-based group said in a statement.
Hundreds of demonstrators staged a protest on April 7 outside the Israeli Embassy in London against attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque. The emergency protest was called for by various NGOs and Palestinian solidarity campaign groups, including Friends of Al Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain and Stop the War Coalition. Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and Jewish Voice for Labours were among the participants.
Decrying recent Israeli attacks on Palestine, the protesters chanted slogans in solidarity with Palestinians, including, “Free Palestine.” Along with Palestinian flags, protesters were carrying signs that read: “Stop arming Israel”, “End Israeli Apartheid”, “Sanctions on Israel” and “Gaza, end the siege.”
Islamic academics and a union of authors based in Türkiye also condemned Israel’s raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque. “We strongly condemn Israel’s latest raid on Masjid Al-Aqsa. We believe that this attack carried out on 5 April, 2023, during the holy month of Ramadan, justifies once again the definition of Israel as a ‘terrorist state,’” the head of the Aybir Union, FatihSavasan, said in a statement.
It urged Muslim countries to initiate criminal investigations against those involved in these and similar acts, and that all non-governmental organisations should initiate the judicial process by applying to relevant national and international authorities.
Pakistan and Indonesia, on April 5, strongly condemned an Israeli police raid on Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which resulted in injuries and large-scale arrests.
Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement blamed “impunity granted to Israel”, which has “emboldened Tel Aviv to violate basic human rights with abandon.”
Jakarta urged the UN and the international community to “immediately take concrete steps to stop and end the various violations committed by Israel against Al-Aqsa.”
In separate reactions to the incident, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the UK and the EU have condemned the atrocities and demanded a “de-escalation” of the situation.The Arab League also condemned the assault.