Palestinian Martyred by ‘Israeli’ Fire at Al-Aqsa Mosque Gate

By Staff, Agencies

A Palestinian man was martyred by a fire of the ‘Israeli’ occupation forces who shot him in al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied holy city of al-Quds on Friday.

Local media said the young man was shot after he tussled with Zionist forces stationed at the Chain Gate [Bab al-Silsela] when they assaulted a Palestinian woman who was attempting to reenter the mosque, according to eyewitnesses. 

Eyewitnesses said 20 gunshots were heard being fired in less than a minute, leaving one man wounded and lying on the floor near the Gate.

The Zionist occupation forces had closed the mosque's gates after tens of thousands of worshippers left the complex following Ramadan Tarawih night prayer. Police prevented anyone from returning to continue overnight prayers, according to Palestinian media.

Footage shared online showed a man lying on the floor near the Chain Gate with ‘Israeli’ officers standing nearby.

The martyr was later identified as Mohammad al-Asaibi [26], a resident of the Huwwara town in the occupied Naqab region.

An eyewitness who remained with a small group of worshippers inside al-Aqsa Mosque told local news outlet Al Jarmaq News they heard the gunshots, adding that the ‘Israeli’ forces entered the courtyards of the mosque to remove banners erected by worshippers earlier in the day after Friday noon prayer.

Crowds chanted slogans after the prayer and put signs in support of Palestinian resistance groups.

The mosque was packed with nearly 250,000 Palestinians who flocked to the site for the second Friday prayer of Ramadan, according to figures provided by the mosque's administers. It is nearly four times the number of worshippers who attend the prayer on a regular basis.