Israeli police officers detain a man in Jerusalem, April 5, 2023. (Credit: Ahmad Gharbali / AFP)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday condemned Israeli police violence against worshippers inside the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
"The ease with which Israeli authorities violate Muslim and Christian holy places and repeat the attacks against their homes, properties and lands, results from the fact that Israel escapes sanctions every time," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also called on the international community to "assume its responsibilities by stopping these aggressions and holding the Israeli government accountable for the crimes it commits and the results that follow."
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati also took to Twitter to condemn "the storming of the mosque by the Israeli occupation forces."
Mikati said the attack was "a flagrant aggression and a transgression of holy places," and called on everyone "with a conscience" to "intervene to stop this violence, especially in this holy month" of Ramadan.
The Israeli police stormed al-Aqsa mosque compound early Wednesday morning to dislodge worshippers that they described as "agitators." They announced that they had arrested more than 350 people, provoking strong condemnations from world leaders.
The police attack at one holiest sites in Islam occurred as Muslims are observing Ramadan and Jews are celebrating Passover.
In the Gaza Strip, the Islamist movement Hamas called on Palestinians "to go on mass to the al-Aqsa mosque to defend it," denouncing an "unprecedented crime" by Israeli forces.
Rockets were fired during the night toward Israeli territory, leading to a response from the Israeli army.