Riots broke out Friday morning on the Temple Mount, perpetrated and orchestrated by masked Arabs who came ready for a confrontation. Police forces under the command of Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turgeman entered the Temple Mount compound after the Arabs had started throwing stones at the Jews in the Western Wall plaza.
الشبان المرابطون بالأقصى يتجهزون لصد أي اقتحام للمسجد الأقصى
נראה שלא הולך להיות יום שקט במסגד אל אקצא, צעירים מכינים אבנים כדי להתנגד לכל נסיון כניסת יהודים קיצונים כדי להקריב עז במסגד היום. pic.twitter.com/FgbYgWcQwP— Asslan Khalil ? (@KhalilAsslan) April 15, 2022
מהומות במסגד אל אקצא: המשטרה משתמשת ברימוני הלם, צעירים ערבים מיידים אבנים לעבר המשטרה. דיווחים על פצועים. pic.twitter.com/lSNW7SiGo0
— סולימאן מסוודה سليمان مسودة (@SuleimanMas1) April 15, 2022
Police said that around 4 AM, dozens of young men, some of them masked, started a procession on the Temple Mount, carrying Hamas and Palestinian Authority flags. They began collecting stones and wooden planks “with the intention of disturbing order.” A violent disturbance began after the morning prayer, as those God-fearing Arabs were throwing stones and other objects and firing fireworks.
מסגד אל אקצא pic.twitter.com/P94fq6JNt7
— שלומי הלר (@Heller_shlomi) April 15, 2022
According to PA media, the security forces use stun grenades to work their way into the mosque where the rioters had barricaded themselves. According to the Red Crescent, 90 rioters were wounded and were evacuated to hospitals.
עוד תיעוד ממסגד אל אקצא הבוקר. pic.twitter.com/4nHylyL80O
— Jack khoury.جاك خوري (@KhJacki) April 15, 2022
The IDF announced Thursday that a lockdown will be imposed on Judea and Samaria during the first day of Passover, starting at 4 PM Friday until Saturday night. PA Arabs were still allowed to attend Friday prayers on the Temple Mount but will have to return to the PA by the time the lockdown begins.
מסגד אל אקצא הבוקר. הסהר האדום בירושלים : מס פצועים מעימותים עם המשטרה בתוך מתחם מסגד אל אקצא.7 כבר פונו. יש עוד נפגעים. הוכרזה כוננות כוננות בקרב כל הצוותים בירושלים. pic.twitter.com/OdJao3t2RF
— Jack khoury.جاك خوري (@KhJacki) April 15, 2022
On Saturday night it will be decided whether to extend the lockdown time to the week of Chol HaMoed as well.
Thousands of policemen and hundreds of soldiers assigned to assist them will patrol the streets of Israel’s cities in crowded areas, amid warnings of planned major terrorist attacks on Passover in Israel and Judea and Samaria.
The army and the police will work to block the infiltration of Arabs through openings in the border fence with the PA. The Shin Bet is hard at work gathering intelligence to prevent anticipated terrorist attacks.
