The UN, Turkey, the US, Canada and several other countries and agencies have expressed shock and concern that Israeli forces are storming Al-Aqsa Mosque overnight, firing stun grenades and attacking Palestinian worshipers.
The incident, which occurred as Muslims celebrated the holy month of Ramadan and Jews prepared for the start of Passover, has sparked fears of a wider blaze.
Palestinian fighters in Gaza responded to the Israeli attack with rocket fire, while Israeli aircraft attacked multiple locations in the besieged coastal enclave.
Here’s how the world reacted to Israel’s attacks on Wednesday.
Shocking eyewitness footage from Al Aqsa Mosque shows Israeli occupation forces ruthlessly attacking Palestinian Muslims tonight for practicing “Itikaf”, a traditional nocturnal #Ramadan ritual @tariqahmadbt @FCDOArabic @James Slim @FCDOGovUK @FCDOHumanRights pic.twitter.com/l2eaF4sW5y
— Palestine in the UK (@PalMissionUK) April 4, 2023
United Nations
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was “appalled and appalled” by footage of Israeli security forces beating people at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, his spokesman said Wednesday.
Stephane Dujarric said Guterres viewed footage of the “violence and mistreatment” at the holy site and found it more disturbing because it came “at a time of a calendar sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims that should be a time for peace and peace”. non-violence”.
“Places of worship should only be used for peaceful religious observances,” he added.
United States
The White House said it was “extremely concerned” and urged restraint from both Israelis and Palestinians.
“We remain extremely concerned about the ongoing violence and we urge all sides to prevent further escalation,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“Now more than ever it is imperative that both Israelis and Palestinians work together to de-escalate this tension and restore a sense of calm.”
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the Israeli police raid, calling such actions on the mosque grounds a “red line” for Turkey.
“I condemn the despicable acts against the first kiblah of Muslims in the name of my country and people, and I call for an end to the attacks as soon as possible,” Erdogan said. “The name of this is the politics of repression, the politics of blood, the politics of provocation. Turkey can never remain silent and unmoved in the face of these attacks.
“Placing a hand on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and trampling on its sanctity is a red line for us.”
Turkey condemned the attacks on believers as “unacceptable” and said they violated its “sacred” nature.
“Normalization with Israel has begun, but our commitment must not be at the expense of the Palestinian cause and our principles,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.
“These attacks have exceeded the limit.”
Arab competition
The Arab League called on the UN Security Council to intervene to halt Israeli “crimes” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In a statement issued Wednesday after an emergency meeting in Cairo, the Arab League condemned the Israeli attacks.
“These crimes escalated dangerously in the last few days of Ramadan, leading to hundreds of injuries and arrests of worshipers, raids and deliberate violation of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli officials and settlers under the protection of the occupation forces.” it said.
The statement rejected “all forms of Israeli violations of Muslim and Christian holy sites, especially those aimed at changing the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the Israeli government’s “cheerful rhetoric” and urged it to change its approach to the Palestinians.
“We are extremely concerned about the inflammatory rhetoric coming from the Israeli government, we are concerned about the reforms of the judiciary… we are concerned about the violence around the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Trudeau said.
“We need to see the Israeli government change its approach, and Canada says that as a dear, close and steadfast friend of Israel, we are deeply concerned about the direction the Israeli government has taken,” he said.
Jordan
Jordan, which acts as custodian of Jerusalem’s Christian and Muslim holy sites under a status quo arrangement in place since the 1967 war, condemned Israel’s “blatant” storming of the compound.
Egypt
Egypt’s foreign ministry called for an immediate halt to Israel’s “blatant attack” on Al-Aqsa worshippers.
Germany
“Anyone who has influence on the situation has a responsibility not to add more fuel to the fire and to do everything possible to calm the situation,” said a spokesman for the German foreign ministry.
It was “essential” for Israeli and Palestinian authorities to maintain close contact, as well as for Jordanian officials, who manage the Al-Aqsa mosque, he added.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has also strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli police, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The UAE called on the Israeli authorities to halt the escalation and prevent tension and instability in the region from increasing,” it said.