TEMPO.CO, Jerusalem - More than 100 Palestinians were wounded by tear gas and grenades shot by the Israeli troops as they walked to Al Aqsa Mosque to worship on Thursday, July 27.
This is the first time Palestinians have entered the Al Aqsa Mosque since Israel banned them from entering the area two weeks ago.
The victims came to Al Aqsa Mosque to perform prayers. Thousands of Palestinians, both men and women and their children, walked to the mosque. They did that after Israel removed metal detectors from the mosque's entrance.
However, when they gathered at the al-Qibli mosque prior to the Al Aqsa mosque, suddenly Israeli troops were already on site and turned off the electricity and forced them out of the mosque.
Read: Clashes, Tensions Flare in Al Aqsa
Citing Al Jazeera, the Palestinians' euphoric feeling of returning to the Al Aqsa Mosque turned into tears as Israeli troops suddenly fired on them with tear gas and grenades.
"We have never seen a victory like this: People are coming from various places to support us," said Raed Saleh, a resident who lived in East Jerusalem said.
"The Israeli government will now understand that the Palestinian people from Jerusalem will accept nothing from them, we are taking care of ourselves, no one can control us."
Two days earlier, dozens of Palestinian Christians and Muslims gathered in front of the Nativity Church, the birthplace of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, West Bank, to protest the Israeli violence at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
"Today we stand in front of the Church of the Nativity to say there is no difference between the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There is no difference between the gates of Al Aqsa and the gates of the churches of the Holy Sepulcher and the Nativity," said Jalal Barham, spokesman for the Arabian Orthodox Youth Caucus Church, as quoted by Middle East Monitor, July 24.
"We make sure we are one, and our history is one, Muslim and Christian, our people do not accept this, we will continue to fight for the independence and self-worth of our Muslim and Christian holiness," Barham said.
The protest marked eight days of Palestinians refusing to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque area in protest at Israel's stance against them entering the area on the grounds of security.
However, as Palestinians ended their protests by walking through the Al Aqsa Mosque, Israel welcomes them with tear gas and grenade blasts to injure more than 100 people.
AL JAZEERA | MIDDLE EAST MONITOR | MARIA RITA
