Palestinians Brought Explosives to Al-Aqsa in Last Week's Riots - Police Chief
Palestinians who barricaded themselves in al-Aqsa mosque last week brought explosives into the mosque, Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai told media on Sunday evening, April 9.
The Shin Bet is reportedly investigating the explosives being brought into the mosque, with defense sources telling Israeli media that the investigation is "complicated and complex."
Shabtai stated that there were over 400 people who barricaded themselves in the mosque Tuesday, April 4, bringing fireworks, explosives and stones into the building. Police then entered al-Aqsa, firing stun grenades and trying to remove the people barricaded inside.
Palestinians in the mosque fired fireworks and threw stones at the Israeli forces. Dozens of Palestinians were reportedly injured or arrested in the clashes. Footage from the scene published by Palestinian media showed police officers hitting Palestinians in the building with chairs and batons and arresting many of them.
A few hours after the clashes, 10 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel, followed by further rocket fire in the next two days from Gaza and Lebanon toward Israel.
When asked about the conduct of police during the clashes at al-Aqsa, Shabtai stressed that the officers were forced to use "force of a somewhat higher degree" due to the complete barricade of the doors of the mosque and the fireworks fired toward them by the rioters. (JPost / VFI News)
“God, we pray for long-lasting peace and stability in our country. May You assist us in defending ourselves, while at the same time we remain capable of resolving most issues without the need for violence.”