Early on Wednesday, Israeli police entered the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City and arrested over 350 people, following the killing of a Palestinian man outside the mosque a few days prior. Videos shared on social media show Israeli forces using force against people inside the mosque and eyewitnesses reported that police smashed doors and windows, fired stun grenades and rubber bullets, and struck people with batons.
Israeli police claimed that they entered the mosque after some "law-breaking youths and masked agitators" brought fireworks, sticks, and stones into the mosque and threw them at the police. The police said that they removed and arrested the people causing trouble, but at least 12 people were injured during the clashes, and the Palestinian Red Crescent stated that its ambulances were targeted by police and prevented from reaching the injured. Overnight prayers in mosques are common during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Israeli police's actions in the al-Aqsa mosque drew condemnation from Arab and Muslim countries, with Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling for Israel to remove its forces from the mosque and condemning the "flagrant violation" of the mosque and its worshipers. Egypt's Foreign Ministry also condemned the police's actions, calling them a violation of international laws and customs.
The incident occurred during Ramadan, where there have been calls by Jewish extremist groups to slaughter goats at the compound as part of an ancient Passover holiday ritual that is no longer widely practiced. The clashes also came shortly after the shooting and killing of 26-year-old Muhammad Al-Osaibi by Israeli police at the entrance of the mosque. The mosque is a flashpoint for tensions as it is home to one of Islam's most revered sites and the holiest site in Judaism.
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that nine rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. The IDF said that five of the rockets were fired toward Israeli territory, and four of them were intercepted by the aerial defense system. The IDF also reported that four more rockets were launched from Gaza toward Israel but landed in open areas. The leader of Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, stated that the "crimes" committed by Israel at the Al-Aqsa mosque "will not pass." Later that day, Israeli fighter jets struck weapons manufacturing and storage sites in Gaza that belonged to Hamas, in response to the rocket attack. Last year was the deadliest for both Israelis and Palestinians in nearly two decades. At least 90 Palestinians have been killed this year, including suspected militants, civilians, and bystanders. At least 15 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank during the same period.