07 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Arab League expressed its "surprise" at the recent statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the escalations in Al-Aqsa mosque.
Netanyahu recently said that Israeli forces were working to calm the situation following clashes between police and worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. "Israel is committed to maintaining freedom of worship, free access to all religions and the status quo and will not allow violent extremists to change that," he said on Twitter.
In response, AL's secretary general, Hossam Zaki, said during the council's emergency meeting, adding that he "doesn't believe" Netanyahu's remarks and that he believed it was "quite the opposite."
READ: Al-Aqsa Mosque assault, Israeli soldiers 'attacked Red Crescent staff'
Zaki accused the Israeli government of being "determined to inflame the situation," stressing that the latter had "no excuse to storm Al-Aqsa."
"We could have expected these confrontations several weeks before Ramadan," he added.
On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers stormed Al-Aqsa, fired stun grenades at Palestinians, injured dozens, and arrested more than 400 worshippers. The Red Crescent said that the occupation police prevented medical staff from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque to take care of the injured.
