Several Arab governments slammed the latest Israeli violation of international law.
Qatar has strongly condemned the storming of a Hebron mosque by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday, describing it as a “severe violation of Muslim sanctities.”
Herzog on Sunday forced his way into the Sanctuary of Abraham, a holy Islamic site in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, accompanied by a number of armed forces and settlers.
Prior to his arrival, Israeli forces raided the site and forcibly expelled all Palestinian worshippers, closed the gates of the mosque and prohibited anyone from praying or even standing nearby, according to the director of the mosque, Sheikh Hefzy Abu Sneina.
#Qatar Strongly Condemns the Israeli President's Storming of the Ibrahimi Mosque [Sanctuary of Abraham]#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/B2zzoAbldr
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) November 29, 2021
In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said such intrusions into holy Islamic sites is deemed an attempt to provoke millions of Muslims around the world.
Authorities in Doha said “the brute act reveals the Israeli occupation’s intent on Judaising sanctities with complete disregard to International laws and conventions.
“The ministry called on the international community to assume their moral and legal responsibility in protecting the Sanctuary of Abraham and religious sanctities in Palestine,” MoFA said in a statement on Monday.
The Israeli president, jewish settlers and members of the Kennest lit candles in the mosque in celebration of their eight-day Festival of Lights, which is a commemoration of their illegal occupation of Jerusalem and re-dedication of the Second Temple in the Palestinian capital.
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Former Israeli president Rueven Riviln and several other officials participated in the ceremony at the Islamic holy site.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera media network reported Israeli forces physically assaulted Palestinian protesters as Herzog arrived at the scene, which saw Israeli forces expand already strict restrictions on the movement of Palestinians living near the mosque and blocked all outlets leading to the site.
The occupying army also forced shop owners to shut down their stores and tried to block journalists from performing their duties while attacking a number of reporters and press.
Palestinians raised their country’s flag at the entrance of the mosque during afternoon prayers to demonstrate against the Israeli violation of international laws and rights of Palestinians and Muslims.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli occupation forces attacked protesters and arrested a citizen.
The director of Hebron Endowments, Jamal Abu Aram denounced the latest Israeli intrusion, which he said “comes under the framework of expanding the Israeli settlement in old Hebron and a green light for settlers to kill Palestinians at the Mosque.”
Abu Aram called for international intervention to put an end to the Israeli violations in the occupied state, noting that “this visit from the Israeli political level is a dangerous precedent.”
Following the 1994 massacre where 29 Palestinian worshippers were killed inside the mosque by a Jewish extremist settler, Israeli occupation authorities divided the mosque complex between Muslim and Jewish worshippers.
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