Benjamin Netanyahu calls for calm a Jerusalemwhile the more radical wings of his government, such as the Minister for National Security Itamar Ben Gvirfuel the confrontation by asking for “cut off heads in Gaza”. On the other hand they fly roots from the Strip verso Israelwith the Islamic Jihad which promises: “This is just the beginning”. Despite international appeals and condemnations, the tension that exploded in the holy city after the police blitz in the al-Aqsa mosque with blows of truncheon e tear gas against the faithful. An operation that triggered the reaction of the Muslims present, giving way to fights which led to 350 arrests.
After hours of violence, with the intervention of international institutions, the premier also speaks Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel “works for to maintain the status quo and calm tempers on Temple Mount (as the Jews call the Esplanade of the Mosques, ndr)”. Netanyahu then explained that “faithful Muslims have reported that Islamic extremists they barricaded themselves in the Mosque, which locked them up there and prevented other faithful from reaching the Mosque to pray”. The images, however, tell of a real blitz that did not spare even people who were simply praying and women dragged away by the security forces. A similar message was also launched by Israel’s first ally, the United Stateswho said “extremely concerned for the clashes at the al-Aqsa mosque and ask all parties to ease the tension”. The intervention of the secretary general of the United Nations was harsher, Anthony Guterreswho said he was “shocked” by the violence by the Israeli security forces.
L’Palestine Liberation Organizationthrough his secretary Hussein al-Sheikh, declared that “the assault on the al-Aqsa mosque by the occupation forces and the attack on the faithful with this brutality requires urgent Palestinian, Arab and international action”. For al-Sheikh it is necessary “to place everyone before their responsibilities in protecting the holy places and the faithful from the oppression of the occupation”. There Arab Leaguefor its part, instead convened an extraordinary meeting at the request of the Jordan. The Foreign Ministry of Amman he also explained that Arab-wide efforts are underway to stop “Israeli actions that constitute a flagrant violation of international law humanitarian”. Actions which, he said, aim at “altering the historical and legal status of Jerusalem”.
Instead, the main armed organizations on the Palestinian scene promise revenge. Hamas denounced the raid on the mosque as a “unprecedented crime” and called on Palestinians in the West Bank “to go en masse to the Al-Aqsa mosque to defend it”. After the announcement of the clashes ad al-Aqsanine rockets were fired from the north of Gaza Strip to the territory Israeliespecially in the direction of Sderot town near the Strip, where the alarm sirens had sounded. At least 4, the army said, were intercepted by the system Iron Dome. In response to the rockets, the army repeatedly struck positions with air force and artillery Hamas a Gaza. In addition, an Israeli soldier – according to the spokesman – was injured in Hebron by gunfire during incidents. The member of the political bureau of Hamas, God bless the Aruricalled the behavior of the Israeli police in the al-Aqsa mosque “a great crime” and stated that “the Palestinian people and the resistance they will react with full force“. “The desecration of our holy places cannot go unanswered,” he added.
Also the leader of Islamic Jihad Ziad Nahale he warned that the situation is becoming critical and affirmed that “the Palestinian people must be ready on all fronts for a confrontation that could already take place in the next few days”. The organization promises that the rockets fired from Gaza are “a first warning to the occupiers who do not continue with the attacks on our people and in the holy places”, reads a statement. The launches have been claimed separately by a hitherto unknown group posing as ‘Lions’ Den-Gaza’as well as by the Popular Resistance Committees and the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Short videos have been released on the web showing the launches towards Israel.
To speak was also the European Union which, for its part, is said “deeply concerned for the escalating tensions and violence we witnessed overnight inside the al-Aqsa mosque compound and at the same time we strongly condemn the chain attacks from Gaza towards Israel,” said the European Commission spokesman Peter Stano during the daily briefing with the press. “We reiterate our call on all parties to exercise the maxim moderation and to refrain from actions that will contribute or could contribute to increasing already high tensions, particularly in this period of religious holidays”.