The UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 on Thursday condemned the violent raids by Israeli forces on the Palestinian territories yesterday Haram Al-Sharif complex (or Esplanade of Mosques) and the attacks on Palestinian worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“While Muslim Palestinians gathered for Ramadan prayers and exercised their right to worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli authorities did a blatantly excessive and unjustified use of force against themsaid Francesca Albanese.
The expert estimated the number of injured Palestinians at at least 31 inside and outside the compound, where paramedics were allegedly prevented from entering to treat and give medical care to the wounded.
According to the first versions of events, the Israeli forces forcibly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque, used stun grenades and tear gas, fired non-lethal bullets and indiscriminately beat Muslim worshipers, including elderly men and women, with their batons and butts with their rifles .
Deep fear among the Palestinians
The raid ended with at least 450 men arrested, some kicked and beaten by the soldiers who escorted them in handcuffs from the Haram Al-Sharif compound.
The rapporteur deplored the “reckless and unlawful” actions of the Israeli forces, who reportedly allowed some 165 Jewish Israelis access to the compound, in violation of the status quo agreement to which Israel is committed.
“The well-known desire of the Israeli settlers to demolish the mosque or convert all or part of the site into a synagogue, as happened with the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, causes deep concern among the Palestinians,” he said.
Some acts of violence Albanese described as “similar” to those that took place during the holy month of Ramadan in 2021 and 2022.
violation of international rights
“These actions led us into a spiral of rocket fire into Israel and rocket fire into Gaza, endangering civilians on both sides of the Green Line. I am concerned about the escalation of violenceprimarily because of the greater devastation it will cause for the Palestinians of Gaza, who have been trapped by an insurmountable siege since 2007,” he explained.
Albanese claimed that “for years, Israel has not ceased its violent attacks against Palestinian worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in violation of international law,” and urged the international community to do so Redouble their efforts to hold the occupying power accountable for their unacceptable behavior in the occupied territories before the situation got further out of hand.
“It is imperative that all parties, without exception, comply with international law,” he said. “Your fracture promotes and perpetuates the culture of injustice and impunity“.
Places of worship should only be used for religious practices
A few hours earlier, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, had expressed his outrage at the images of violence at the Al-Qibli Mosque, which is part of the Al-Qibli General Compound Aqsa.
“I am concerned about the apparent beatings by Israeli security forces on Palestinians and the large number of arrests. I also strongly oppose the storage and use of firecrackers and stones by Palestinians in the mosque,” he said.
Wennesland reminded that places of worship should be used for “safe and peaceful” worship, especially when almost 600,000 people have visited the holy sites in Jerusalem since the beginning of Ramadan.
The coordinator called on all political, religious and community leaders to do so reject provocations, inflammatory rhetoric, provocative actions and like Albanese to maintain the current situation in the Esplanade of Mosques
The Special Rapporteurs are part of the so-called Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the common name of the Council’s independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that deal with specific country situations or thematic issues in any part of the world. Experts for special procedures work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN employees and receive no salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and provide their services as an individual.