The security services in Tel Aviv, and the army and General Intelligence (Shin Bet) in particular, began consultations on the dangers of what they call the “worst-case scenarios” and preparing plans “in preparation for the dangers of the month of Ramadan,” with time passing without reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and the government’s failure. The Israeli government decided to take bold decisions that suit the stage, defuse escalation, and prevent new explosions.
The worst scenario, according to the Israeli security services, is a comprehensive security explosion in the West Bank and Jerusalem that would amount to a third intifada.
According to testimonies from Palestinians in the Old City of East Jerusalem, the Israeli security services took strict measures in various neighborhoods of the city, particularly concentrated in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, where they deployed modern eavesdropping and photographing devices, and increased their foot patrols, observation points, and sniping on rooftops and military checkpoints on the ground. .
Although the Israeli authorities have not reduced the entry of Jews into the courtyards of the mosque with the protection of the police and intelligence, they continue to restrict the freedom of Muslims to pray and limit their numbers, and are still studying the plan of the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, to prevent residents of the West Bank from entering Al-Aqsa and reduce the number of Muslim visitors from Residents of East Jerusalem and residents of Israel (Palestinians 48), during the month of Ramadan.
The Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Palestinian caretaker government in Ramallah, Sheikh Hatem Al-Bakri, stated that “the Israeli occupation forces stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque 20 times during the month of February, and prevented the call to prayer in the Ibrahimi Mosque for 44 times.”
Al-Bakri said, in a statement issued on Monday, that “the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is exposed to colonizers’ raids daily, except Saturday and Friday, and in the morning and evening periods, in addition to the occupation installing a tower and surveillance cameras on the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, tightening the siege and imposing restrictions on the entry of Palestinians.” To Al-Aqsa, constantly checking their identities and detaining worshipers at its external gates, in addition to deporting dozens of them from it for varying periods.”
The Palestinian minister explained that “the practices against Al-Aqsa are not security measures as they claim, but rather they are part of the measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities to undermine the religious rights of the Palestinians in the interest of the Judaization policy.” He said that the Noble Mosque of the Patriarchs in Hebron is witnessing continuous aggressive practices and is being subjected to serious attacks, provoking the feelings of Muslims.
Regarding the rest of the Islamic and Christian holy sites and religious places, Al-Bakri pointed out that colonists (settlers) carried out acts of sabotage and destruction inside a mosque in Masafer Yatta near Hebron, where the attacks affected the loudspeakers and the removal of the iron tower that holds these loudspeakers from the roof of the mosque and their destruction, as well as the desecration of the mosque by inside, destroying its contents, tampering with it, and stealing the audio device.
Al-Bakri also stated that the occupation forces stormed the mosque of the Al-Majaz village in Masafer Yatta, wreaked havoc on it, destroyed its contents, and desecrated it.
In Qalqilya Governorate, Al-Bakri reported that “occupation forces attacked the Azzun Grand Mosque, causing the exterior glass to be broken, and bullets were fired at the mosque’s solar panels, causing damage and destruction to the doors, walls, and solar panels.”
The minister said, “The occupation and allied colonialists escalated their attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities in the year 2023, especially with the outbreak of aggressive war. The incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque exceeded 258 incursions, and the number of intruders was estimated at tens of thousands, in addition to dangerous Judaization plans that affected Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City, and dozens of cases of deportation of the mosque’s guards, guards, marabouts, men and women, and citizens.
In the Ibrahimi Mosque, the Israeli occupation prevented the call to prayer 704 times and closed it for ten days. The year 2023 witnessed an increase in the number of mosques that were subjected to violations as a result of the war in the Gaza Strip. 388 mosques were destroyed, of which 145 were completely destroyed, while 243 mosques were partially destroyed, preventing prayers from being held in the appropriate manner, which led to a clear violation of a fundamental right of the Palestinian human being to his freedom to worship without any obstruction or hindrance.
The Israeli occupation attacked a number of mosques in the West Bank. In the city of Hebron, maintenance work on a mosque was prohibited and the agency was stopped in the Old City and its surroundings, due to its proximity to a colony (settlement). The minister also pointed out that a group of “colonists of the Abraham Avenue outpost,” which was established on the lands of the central vegetable market, attacked the “Al-Sunniyya” mosque, located in the Al-Sahla area, close to the vegetable market, with stones, which led to the smashing of its windows and the destruction of the external square, in addition to the attack on the Qaitoun Mosque. The old city of Hebron.
Hacking Christian websites
Regarding the Christian sanctities in Jerusalem, the settlers stormed the “Christ’s Imprisonment” church and destroyed its contents, while they also attacked a cemetery belonging to the Evangelical Episcopal Church in Jerusalem, and desecrated the sanctity of the graves there.
They also attacked the headquarters of the Armenian Patriarchate, while three churches in the Gaza Strip were destroyed as a result of the bombing, namely the Greek Orthodox Church – the third oldest church in the world – in the center of Gaza City, in addition to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius – the oldest church in the Gaza Strip – and the Latin Church of Gaza.
Dozens of settlers stormed the Birk Suleiman Waqf area, located between the towns of Artas and Al-Khader in Bethlehem, under the protection of the occupation forces, and performed Talmudic rituals in the place.
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