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More than a thousand extremist settlers invade Esplanada das Mesquitas; US begins construction of port in Gaza: war, day 202

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More than a thousand extremist Israeli settlers stormed the Esplanade of the Mosques in Jerusalem today, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place in Islam, is located, during the celebration of the Jewish Passover.

The 1,160 attackers visited various locations in that place, where the Dome of the Rock is also located, amidst strong security measures, reported the Palestinian agency Wafa.

According to Wafa, the military that followed Jewish extremists prevented the free movement of Muslim faithful, who were asked to present their identification documents.

This invasion coincided with the traditional Birkat Kohanim, a mass Jewish priestly blessing that takes place in the middle of Pesach or Easter and brings together thousands of Jews at the Western Wall.

On these dates, it is common for Jewish believers to try to enter the Esplanada das Mesquitas, despite the discomfort that such incursions cause in the Muslim community.

According to their religious laws, Jews cannot pray inside the Esplanade of Mosques, or the Mount of Time, for them, because it is believed that the Second Temple was erected there, the holiest place for Judaism, where only a few rabbis can pray.

For this reason, Jews pray from the Western Wall, located nearby, facing the place where the temple was located.

Other news that marked the day

⇒ The Pentagon announced that the United States has begun construction of a temporary port and pier in the Gaza Strip, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory bombed and besieged by Israel. Faced with Israel’s delays and blockages in the distribution of humanitarian aid by land, US President Joe Biden had announced in early March the construction of an artificial port. US military ships “have begun to build (…) the temporary port and pier at sea”, Pentagon (United States Department of Defense) spokesman General Pat Ryder told the press. This temporary seaport should allow military or civil ships to deposit their cargo there. The humanitarian aid will then be taken by logistical support vessels to a pier on the coast of Gaza.

⇒ A senior Hamas political official assured that the Islamic group is willing to move forward with a truce of at least five years with Israel, if an independent Palestinian state is established. Al-Hayya was speaking to the Associated Press (AP), at a time when there continues to be an impasse in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Palestinian authority hopes to establish an independent state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, a solution that has been supported by the international community.

⇒ Between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinians have arrived in Egypt since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel, reported the Palestinian ambassador in Cairo, Diab Allouh. According to information released by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Rafah crossing point is, in theory, the only opening to the Gaza strip that is not under direct Israeli control.

⇒ Portugal and 17 other countries, including the United States of America, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, signed an appeal for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas, it was announced today. “We demand the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for more than 200 days. Among these hostages are citizens of our countries”, says a joint statement from the leaders of the 18 countries released today by the White House. The declaration is also signed by Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Thailand.

⇒ The United Nations (UN) rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories has called for an investigation into whether Western countries’ political and military support for Israel in the war in the Gaza Strip could amount to complicity in genocide. “Complicity in genocide is a crime in itself under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” said Francesca Albanese, at a press conference at the end of a week-long visit to Egypt and Jordan to assess the situation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

⇒ The United States reinforced sanctions on Iran, again targeting the military drone industry, in parallel with similar sanctions imposed by Ottawa and London, almost two weeks after Tehran’s attack on Israel. These economic sanctions target “more than a dozen entities, people and ships that played a central role in facilitating and financing the clandestine sale of Iranian ‘drones’ (unmanned aircraft) by the Iranian Ministry of Defense”, announced the US Treasury Department.

The article is in Portuguese

Tags: thousand extremist settlers invade Esplanada das Mesquitas begins construction port Gaza war day

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