PM Imran condemns Israeli forces’ attacks on worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque

On his official twitter handle, Imran Khan wrote, “Strongly condemn Israeli Forces' attack esp during Ramazan on Palestinians in Qibla-e-Awaal, Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating all norms of humanity & int law”.

He urged the international community to take immediate action into the incident.

“We reiterate support for Palestinian ppl. Int community must take immed action to protect Palestinians & their legitimate rights”.

Strongly condemn Israeli Forces' attack esp during Ramazan on Palestinians in Qibla-e-Awaal, Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating all norms of humanity & int law. We reiterate support for Palestinian ppl. Int community must take immed action to protect Palestinians & their legitimate rights

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 9, 2021

Yesterday, more than 200 Palestinians and 17 officers suffered injuries in the night-time clashes at Islam’s third-holiest site and around East Jerusalem.

Most were injured at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protestors as Palestinians retaliated by throwing stones and bottles.

The footages released from the site shows worshippers throwing chairs, shoes and rocks towards the police and officers opening fire. Israeli police also shut down the gates leading to Al-Aqsa inside the walled Old City.

The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said one of the injured lost an eye, two suffered serious head wounds, and two had their jaws fractured. Most were wounded in the face and eyes by rubber-coated rounds and shrapnel from stun grenades.

Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshippers earlier packed into the mosque on the final Friday of Ramadan and many stayed on to protest in support of Palestinians facing eviction from their homes on Israeli-occupied land claimed by Jewish settlers.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has held Israel responsible for the dangerous developments and sinful attacks taking place in the holy city and called on the United Nations (UN) Security Council to hold an urgent session on the issue.

The international community has expressed concern and appealed for de-escalation on Friday, as anger mounted over the threatened eviction of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem's Shaikh Jarrah district.

Meanwhile, a US State Department spokeswoman said Washington was "deeply concerned about the heightened tensions".

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Vennesland, urged all parties to "respect the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City in the interest of peace & stability."

The UN has said Israel should call off any evictions and employ "maximum restraint in the use of force" against protesters.