Gaza Militants Fire Rockets Into Israel After Al-Aqsa Mosque Raid

Facts

• Following a raid by Israeli police into Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired at least nine rockets into Israel. In response, Israel launched air strikes at what it says were weapon production sites controlled by Hamas.¹
• Israeli police said that they arrested 350 people after what they called "agitators" with fireworks, sticks, and stones barricaded themselves inside the mosque, with Palestinians at the scene saying that stun grenades and rubber bullets were used to clear out the group. 50 people were reportedly injured.²
• It is not immediately clear how the incident began, with conflicting reports from Palestinian and Israeli sources. Israeli police said that they were forced to enter the mosque because Palestinians had locked themselves inside, however, Palestinian sources described the confrontation as an unjustified attack on worshippers.³
• The incident drew condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world, with Jordan condemning the actions of the Israeli police “in the strongest terms,” and calling on Israel to immediately remove its forces from the mosque.⁴
• With the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Jewish Passover celebrations overlapping this week, tensions are particularly high, as Al-Aqsa, which is considered one of the holiest sites in Islam, is also considered a major holy site in Judaism, often referred to as the Temple Mount.⁵
• The situation in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel continues to deteriorate, and violence has worsened in the last year due to an increase in Israeli raids in the West Bank following a spree of Palestinian attacks in Israel. In May 2021, an 11-day conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas, sparked by confrontations at Al-Aqsa.⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²BBC News, ³Al Arabiya English, ⁴CNN, and ⁵Guardian.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Every year, Israeli forces brutalize Palestinian worshippers while the world and international media either turn a blind eye or pretend as if this is a conflict with "two sides." Without cause, Israeli police assaulted worshippers, leading to a dangerous escalation. The occupation's cruelty has no bounds, even during the holy month of Ramadan. Emboldened by international passivity after killing more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming even more brutal.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Times of Israel. Though the Palestinians and their enablers will cry foul when Israeli police try to maintain order, the reality is that Wednesday's confrontation was a result of Palestinian agitators turning a holy site into a war zone. Even though the Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, Israel maintains the status quo, as it has no interest in provoking the situation in the West Bank or Gaza. While the media focuses on Jerusalem, terrorists in Gaza fired rockets at Israeli civilians, which is the real crime.

Predictions