Int'l Jurists Union condemns Israel's 'heinous' attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The International Jurists Union on Saturday condemned Israel’s “heinous attack” on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

“As the International Jurists Union, we condemn the heinous attack on the Masjid al-Aqsa and its worshipers … [by] the Israeli occupation forces,” Necati Ceylan, the head of the Turkish group, said in a statement.

“This raid is a clear legal violation of the status of the Masjid [mosque] and against the universal legal norms.”

The group called on the international community and organizations to support Palestinians and play a part in stopping such unlawful attacks by Israel.

Israeli forces fired stun and gas grenades in a bid to disperse Muslim worshippers inside the Haram al-Sharif area of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday evening.

At least 205 people have been injured in Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa and in other parts of occupied East Jerusalem, including the Damascus gate of the Old City and the Sheikh Jarrah district, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Tensions have run high in the Sheikh Jarrah area all through the week as Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families.

Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the “Temple Mount” and claim it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move that has never been recognized by the international community.