(Gaza) The leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, warned on Sunday against a planned march by Jewish nationalists in the Palestinian sector of Israeli-occupied Jerusalem, saying he would use “all means” to do so. face.
Posted at 12:31 p.m.
The controversial “Flags” march is to take place next Sunday to mark “Jerusalem Day”, the anniversary for Israelis of the “reunification” of the Holy City, synonymous for Palestinians with the annexation in 1967 by the Jewish state of East Jerusalem, deemed illegal under international law.
The route of the march, which is to go to the Wailing Wall, the holiest prayer site in Judaism located below the esplanade of the Mosques, has been provisionally approved by the Israeli authorities.
It allows entry into the Old City through the Damascus Gate, overlooking the Muslim quarter where the Esplanade of the Mosques is located – the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism under its name of Temple Mount.
But this route does not allow access to the esplanade of the Mosques, which houses the Al-Aqsa mosque, a hot spot of tension with the Palestinians.
Ismaïl Haniyeh denounced “calls to break into the Al-Aqsa mosque and organize a march of flags”.
“I warn the enemy against committing such crimes,” he said. “We will face it by all means and we will never allow Al-Aqsa Mosque to be violated.”
He was speaking during a speech Sunday on the first anniversary of the last war between Israel and Hamas, in power in the Gaza enclave under Israeli blockade, triggered after an outbreak of violence between Palestinians and forces of Israeli security forces on the esplanade of the Mosques.
The Hamas leader’s remarks come after more than 70 Palestinians were injured last week in clashes with Israeli forces at a funeral in Jerusalem, according to Palestinian medics. The Israeli police spoke of “violent riots” that threatened the lives of officers.
A few days earlier, Israeli police attacked the funeral procession of Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian-American journalist for Al Jazeera, killed during an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 .