ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Qatar and Indonesia on Wednesday strongly condemned an Israeli police raid on Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, 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.”
“I strongly condemn the Israeli police attack on Palestinian worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Brutal attack is violative of sanctity of (the) holy month of Ramadan,” Sharif said in a tweet.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli police said they detained 350 Palestinians from the complex, with witnesses saying they used excessive force, including tear gas.
Strongly condemning the violence committed by Israeli security forces, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This act has really hurt the feelings of Muslims around the world, was a real violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa, and will further escalate conflict and violence.”
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.”
Joining the growing chorus of criticism, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called on the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to raise the issue with the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the international community.
“Strongly condemn this attack on worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque once again during holy month of Ramazan. It’s OIC’s responsibility to inform UNSC and international community that such barbaric acts cause immense hurts to Muslims across the world,” Khan stated in a post he shared on Twitter emblazoned with a picture showing Israeli police personnel standing alert, presumably in the courtyard of the mosque.
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.
Israeli forces and Jewish settlers frequently carry out raids on the mosque.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents Islam’s third-holiest site, while Jews call the area Temple Mount.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.
Qatar has issued a statement to condemn an Israeli raid into Al Aqsa and that led to a brutal attack on worshippers on Tuesday, slamming the assaults as another violation of international law.
In a statement on Wednesday, Qatar’s foreign ministry took aim at the storming and vandalism of the holy site as well as the assault on worshippers and preventing ambulances from attending to the injured.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers these brutal criminal practices a serious escalation and a blatant infringement of the holy places, an extension of the policy of Judaising Jerusalem, a violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy,” the statement added.
The statement also slammed the attacks as “a provocation to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims in the world, especially in the blessed month of Ramadan.”
It also highlighted the occupation of Jerusalem, as per international law.
“Therefore the responsibility for caring for the worshippers’ rights guaranteed by international and humanitarian conventions, not to mention the assault on them and the Islamic and Christian sanctities in the city, falls exclusively on the Israeli occupation forces,” the statement added.
Qatar renewed its support for the Palestinian cause and its people’s “full right to practice their religious rituals without restrictions”.
“It also holds the occupation authorities solely responsible for the cycle of violence that will result from their systematic policies against the rights of the Palestinian people, and urges the international community to take urgent action to stop these measures,” the statement read.
Israeli forces violently attacked worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque late on Tuesday and forcefully removed hundreds of Palestinians holding night prayers to make way for Jewish settlers.
Disturbing footage circulating on social media showed Israeli forces mercilessly beating up Palestinians while firing tear gas into the mosque.
As part of Israel’s efforts to change the status quo of the mosque, settlers were granted the approval to sacrifice offerings at the Muslim site for the Passover holiday
According to the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Israel detained more than 400 worshipers during the assault.
Such attacks frequently occur during the holy month of Ramadan every year as part of Israel’s attempts to disrupt Palestinians observing the Muslim month of fasting.
Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Abdul Kharis Almasyhari has condemned Israeli security forces’ attack on Palestinian worshipers at Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem (Al Quds) on Friday.
“I, as Deputy Chairman of Commission I of DPR RI, condemn the barbarity and cruelty of the Israeli apartheid state which has tarnished the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan and the Al Aqsa Mosque as the first kiblah (direction that is prayed to) of Muslims,” Kharis Almasyhari said in a statement here on Saturday.
He said the brutal attack carried out by the Israeli police into the Al Aqsa Mosque resulted in hundreds of Palestinians including journalists, medics, and female worshipers of the Al Aqsa mosque, being injured.
He said Israel’s cruel actions so far cannot be justified, including the attacks on Palestinians at the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The legislator also condemned Israel’s systematic efforts to continue to displace Palestinians by destroying their homes in the West Bank and thousands of other crimes during the occupation of Palestine by Israel.
In this regard, he urged the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to file a protest with the United Nations (UN) regarding the Israeli provocation.
He cited the DPR’s records on 15 resolutions of the UN Security Council on the status of Jerusalem.
One of the important resolutions is the UN General Assembly Resolution No. 181 of 1947 which establishes Jerusalem as an area under international authority and given separate legal and political status.
However, more than five decades, the resolutions were completely ignored by Israel.
“Indonesia as a member state of the UN and other countries having Muslim majority population and holding non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, can send notes of protest. Indonesia can ask the United Nations to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli Zionist arbitrariness,” he said. Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem with medics reporting at least 158 Palestinians injured in the ensuing violence as hundreds were detained.
The Islamic endowment that runs the site said Israeli police entered in force before dawn on Friday, as thousands of worshippers were gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers.
Palestine Condemns brutal attacks of Israeli occupation soldiers against Palestinian worshippers at the Holy Aqsa Mosque
