Air Force strikes in Gaza after rocket fire; 350 detained in Al-Aqsa clashes

The Israeli Air Force struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip Wednesday morning after a barrage of rockets was launched at nearby Israeli towns from the enclave throughout the early hours of the day, amid a spike in violence at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount as Ramadan coincided with the arrival of the Passover holiday.

A weapons factory and a weapons storage facility belonging to the terror group were targeted in the strikes, the Israel Defense Forces said. Media reports indicated that the rockets were fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, but the Israeli military holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from the territory it rules.

The rocket fire came after clashes erupted between the Israel Police and Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem overnight. Police said they had entered to dislodge “agitators” who had barricaded themselves inside with fireworks, clubs and stones. On Wednesday morning, authorities said 350 people had been detained in the unrest.

After the IAF struck targets in the Gaza Strip, another salvo of rockets were launched at Israeli border towns shortly before 7 a.m., triggering alert sirens. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said a 30-year-old man was lightly injured after he fell while running to a bomb shelter.

In total, 16 rockets were fired from the strip, eight of which were shot down by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

The Sderot Municipality said one of the rockets struck a factory in the industrial area, causing damage.

Clashes at Al-Aqsa

On Tuesday night, dozens of masked youths barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque atop the Temple Mount with fireworks, clubs and rocks following evening prayers, while locking the doors and placing barricades at the entrances, police said.

This was an apparent preparation for Jewish visits to the Mount on Wednesday, which is Passover Eve, amid a push by religious fringe groups to carry out an animal sacrifice at the holy site, forbidden by authorities. While Jews are allowed to visit the site of the ancient Jewish temples, under the status quo maintained there, they are not able to hold rituals.

Police released video footage showing what appear to be fireworks explosions inside the mosque and figures throwing rocks. Another police video showed riot police with shields advancing through the mosque under a barrage of fireworks explosions. The footage then showed a barricaded door and boxes of fireworks on the floor, as well as police escorting at least five people outside with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

1/6 למעלה מ-350 מתבצרים בהתבצרות אלימה בהר הבית, בהם רעולי פנים, מיידי אבנים וזיקוקים ומשחיתי המסגד נעצרו pic.twitter.com/TIwOuDgK73

— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) April 5, 2023
Palestinian-filmed video showed security forces beating people inside the mosque.

הפלסטינים מדווחים – שוטרים עם אלות מכים מתפללים ללא אבחנה באלות ובנשק, אחרי שנכנסו למסגד. pic.twitter.com/QZooMwaXsk

Hamas denounced the raid on the mosque as an “unprecedented crime” and called on Palestinians in the West Bank “to go en masse to the Al-Aqsa mosque to defend it.”

Hours later, an Israeli soldier was wounded in a suspected shooting near the West Bank city of Hebron.

עימותים בהר הבית: דיווחים פלסטיניים על שימוש ברימוני הלם לעבר מתפרעים | תיעוד ירי הזיקוקים בתוך המסגד@HaimOmri pic.twitter.com/XhiRVXh7Cf

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 4, 2023
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which this year once again coincides with the Jewish festival of Passover, is known to be a period of higher tension between Israeli forces and Palestinians. Tens of thousands of worshipers visit Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site, throughout the month, regularly leading to a spike in tensions with Israel and violence.

Police said they were forced to enter the mosque after “several law-breaking youths and masked agitators” barricaded themselves inside.

“These instigators fortified [the mosque], hours after the [last evening] Taraweeh prayer in order to disrupt public order and desecrate the mosque,” the police said in a statement. “After many and prolonged attempts to get them out by talking to no avail, police forces were forced to enter the compound in order to get them out with the intentions to allow the Fajr [dawn] prayer and to prevent a violent disturbance,” they added.

As unrest grows, lack of clarity on defense minister

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after the latter warned publicly of the need to halt the government’s judicial overhaul legislation — which the premier indeed halted a day later. The dismissal led to mass protests and Netanyahu has appeared to walk back the move without actually canceling it — with his office never submitting a formal letter of dismissal and Netanyahu returning to holding meetings with Gallant, saying he had delayed a decision on the matter.

On Twitter Wednesday morning, opposition leader Yair Lapid said “Israel’s security is not on hold. Our enemies will not be delayed.”

“This very morning Netanyahu needs to remove the cloud over Gallant’s dismissal. The State of Israel needs a full-time defense minister, not one on probation. Netanyahu, come to your senses,” wrote Lapid.

יירוטים בשמי עוטף עזה | תיעוד@Itsik_zuarets https://t.co/f5B1RSPPQ1 pic.twitter.com/HOZInolSa6

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 5, 2023
National Unity party head Benny Gantz, himself a defense minister in the previous government, also called on Netanyahu to announce Gallant would not be sacked, “no ifs or buts,” adding that Wednesday’s escalation in the Gaza Strip was a “reminder that in the Middle East, you don’t mix politics with security.”

Last week, The IDF announced it would impose a closure on the West Bank, set to take effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with crossing points closed to Palestinians on the first and last days of the Passover holiday. Gaza border crossings will also close.

Such closures are standard practice during festivals and holidays. The military says they are a preventative measure against attacks in periods of increased tension.

The closure will last until Saturday, April 8. A second closure will begin on April 11 and last until April 12.

On Friday, April 7, some border crossings are set to reopen to allow Palestinian worshipers from the West Bank to enter Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa for Ramadan.

Emanuel Fabian and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.