Tension Between Israel and Palestine Compounds as Ramadan and Passover Coincide

A surge of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories during the past month has stoked tensions between the two states. It has caused many to fear a repeat of the 11-day conflict that occurred last May, which resulted in the death of over 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

Two weeks ago, Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque during morning prayer, marking the most serious escalation at the holy site in over a year. Medics reported that over 158 Palestinians were injured during the raid, while hundreds more were detained.

Clashes at the holy site have continued between Palestinian Muslims and Israeli security forces, who claim to have just been dispersing a violent crowd that lingered after morning prayer on April 15.

However, eye-witnesses told Al-Jazeera that Israeli forces entered the Mosque unprovoked and proceeded to “brutally” empty the compound, attacking staff, elders, and young people in the process.

Videos circulated online showing police using tear gas and stun grenades against worshippers, who hurled rocks back at the police. Other videos show people barricading themselves desperately within the Mosque to escape the violence.

The Israeli forces also fired rubber bullets into the crowds, wounding many, including a 21-year-old Palestinian man named Walid al-Sharif. Al-Sharif recently fell into a coma after sustaining internal bleeding as a result of being struck in the head by one of the rubber bullets.

The Palestinian Authority and Jordan, which has custodianship over Islam’s third holiest site, issued a joint statement condemning Israel and stating that it was responsible for a “dangerous and condemnable escalation that threatens to explode the situation.”

Palestinian militant group Hamas also responded by launching a series of missile strikes against Israel, which were intercepted by its defense system. Israel responded to this by launching a series of its own strikes, destroying a military facility within the Gaza strip that was allegedly used to build missile engines.

The violence comes after a series of terrorist attacks were carried out by Palestinian gunmen in Israeli cities, killing 14 Israeli citizens. These deadly attacks prompted Israel to reevaluate its defense strategy by broadening the scope of its operations against Palestine.

Indeed, a few days ago, Israel’s coordinator for Palestinian affairs, Ghassan Alyan, announced that Israel would close the Erez Crossing, the only existing crossing connecting Gaza and Israel, which is essential for workers in Israel who live in Gaza.

Over 12,000 Gazans currently hold work permits that allow them to cross over to Israel and make a living. The removal of such access will undoubtedly have a huge financial impact on Gaza, with many residents relying on the income of these workers. An Israeli radio station estimated that Palestinian losses will be around 1.5 million USD daily.

Tension between the two groups had been expected this year, as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincided with the Jewish celebration of Passover. These celebrations usually see an increased number of visitors coming to Jerusalem to visit the Muslim and Jewish holy sites.

This uptick in visitors angered many Palestinians as they believed it violated the long-held convention that Jews could visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but not pray there. This raised tensions between the two communities and is a likely explanation for the terrorist attacks carried out earlier this month.

Israel has denied all accusations that it is looking to overturn this “status quo” by reaffirming its commitment to the preservation of the freedom of worship. However, its actions might suggest otherwise.

The death toll of the recent violence has reached 38 and tensions between Israel and Palestine remain extremely high as clashes continue in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque. Many Palestinians are fearful of a repeat of the deadly conflict that took place in May of last year.

Top United States diplomats have been sent to Israel to end “the cycle of violence.” However, Palestine has accused the US of wielding “limp diplomacy” and of double-standards compared to how the US has addressed the war in Ukraine.

With no resolution in sight, one is left to wonder whether this long-term regional conflict will ever be solved, or whether the tensions are doomed to erupt into a wider conflict that would hugely impact an already struggling Palestine.