The Israeli police have stormed the third holiest place of Muslims in Al-Aqsa Mosque located in occupied Jerusalem between Tuesday and Wednesday night, injuring dozens of worshipers, while also arresting more than 350.
According to a report by Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, Israeli security forces entered the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque when hundreds of Muslims were engaged in prayer during the night of Ramadan.
According to AFP journalists and eyewitnesses, several rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory on Wednesday morning.
Israeli police arrest woman at al-Aqsa compound: Reuters
Journalists said they saw three rockets fired from a distance, while the Israeli military said rocket warning sirens sounded in several Israeli urban centers around the Gaza Strip.
According to the American news agency Associated Press, it was not immediately clear about the start of the latest violence and its cause.
Israeli police, meanwhile, said they had used force to evict worshipers "armed with incendiary material, stones and sticks".
He added that an Israeli officer was injured by a stone on his leg.
The Israeli police added that dozens of people have been arrested in this raid.
The latest violence in occupied Jerusalem has sparked outrage among Palestinians.
Israeli police near Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
In Gaza, the Palestinian group Hamas has called for mass protests and people are gathering in the streets towards the border with Israel.
After the incident, the Israeli army said nine rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel after sirens sounded in southern towns.
The occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem have seen an increase in violence over the past year, and there are fears that tensions could escalate this month as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincides with the Jewish festival of Passover and the Christian holiday. Easter is also near.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said seven Palestinians were initially reported injured by rubber bullets and beatings in the Israeli police attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
The Red Crescent added that Israeli forces were preventing its medical staff from reaching the mosque.
Outside the mosque compound, an elderly woman tearfully told Reuters: 'I was sitting on a chair reciting the Quran. They (Israeli forces) threw stun grenades, one of which hit me in the chest.'
Israeli police said in a statement that masked men 'armed' with fireworks, sticks and stones were inside the mosque, forcing them to enter the compound.
"When the police entered, they were stoned and fired from inside the mosque by a large group of angry people," the statement said.
Israeli police near Al-Aqsa Mosque: Reuters
Palestinian groups have condemned Israel's attacks on worshipers, calling it a crime.
"We warn the occupying power against crossing the red line at the holy site, which will lead to a major conflict," Nabil Abu Rudina, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said.
Jordan and Egypt have also issued separate statements condemning the incident.
Videos circulating on social media showed violence against worshipers, with police beating people inside the mosque.
