Explained | Blood-stained story of Al Aqsa Mosque compound at the heart of Israel-Hamas war

When Hamas fired a barrage of rockets on Israel as its citizens slept in calmness on October 7, unaware of the sudden and shocking attack coming their way, the terror group announced it as the beginning of Operation "Al Aqsa Flood". As the sudden attacks that targeted civilians inside Israel quickly took the shape of yet another war, what remained as a focal point of tension between Israel and Palestine was the Al Aqsa, a place which always found itself in the conflict between Arabs and Jews. 

As per a Reuters report, the operation was planned and named "Al Aqsa Flood" by the mastermind of the attack Mohammed Deif in retaliation for raids carried out at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque by Israel.

Deif started planning the attack in May 2021 after the Arab and Muslim world were left enraged by a raid carried out by Israel on Al Aqsa mosque. 

"It was triggered by scenes and footage of Israel storming Al Aqsa mosque during Ramadan, beating worshippers, attacking them, dragging elderly and young men out of the mosque. All this fuelled and ignited the anger," a source was quoted as saying in Gaza. 

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Commenting on the attack by Hamas that left Israel rattled, spokesperson for Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon Guy Nir said to WION, "This is a terror attack that needs to be condemned. Terror is terror. All over the world. Throughout history - you can see that Israel's citizens unite in difficult situations. People help each other, and they become stronger when facing difficulties."

However, this is not the first time  Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is part of a larger compound located in the Old City of Jerusalem, has been drawn into a conflict.

The disputed mosque complex has been at the centre of the Israel-Palestine conflict for years. 

What is the significance of Al Aqsa mosque for Muslims and Jews? 

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is located on a hill, which Jews call Har ha-Bayit or the Temple Mount and the Muslims refer to as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, in the Old City of Jerusalem. 

Across the globe, Muslims consider the mosque as Islam's third holiest place after Mecca and Medina. Al-Aqsa compound houses two holy places - the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, which is a  seventh-century structure where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven.

The mosque was constructed on the hill in 8th century AD.  

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As per the Jews, the compound is where once the Biblical Jewish temples stood.

However, the Jews are forbidden from entering the compound and praying by Jewish law and the Israeli Rabbinate, since they consider it too holy to tread upon.

The Western Wall of the compound, known as the Wailing Wall to Jews, is considered as the last remnant of the Second Temple.

However, the Muslims believe it is the al-Buraq Wall where al-Buraq, the animal upon which Prophet Muhammad ascended to the sky, was tied by him.

The Jews further consider the Temple Mount as their holiest site because they believe that their first temple was built by King Solomon 3,000 years ago. 

How did the conflict around the Al-Aqsa Mosque unfold? 

The contested site became a matter of concern after East Jerusalem went under the control of Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967.

Officially, the control of the mosque and its area was given by Israel to an Islamic group. However, the Israeli forces were allowed to visit the site and also gave permission to Christian pilgrims to visit the Temple Mount, which is considered as holy by them also for its connection with events in the life of Jesus Christ.

A new tunnel was opened near the compound of the al-Aqsa Mosque in 1996 which was seen by Palestinians as a violation of their sacred site. This led to clashes which resulted in more than 80 deaths in just three days. 

Israel's then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon along with a group of Israeli lawmakers visited the Temple Mount complex in 2000. 

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After 2005, some Jewish religious factions demanded that more rights should be granted to them for visiting the place and expressed their aspiration of reconstructing an old temple in place of the Dome of the Rock which they believed once stood there, further sparking controversy and debate.

The tensions reached a crucial point in 2014 after the assault on Yehuda Glick, who was a Jewish religious leader.

Responding to the attack, Israel closed the access to Al-Aqsa, a step which was not taken since 1967. Palestinians were already restricted from entering the compound by Israelis through various methods, like building the separation wall in the early 2000s, which stops Palestinians from the West Bank from getting entry into Israel. 

In March and April of 2014, tear gas and stun grenades were used by the Israeli police against Palestinians within Al-Aqsa which drew international condemnation.

This ignited protests by Palestinians which soon turned into violent clashes and marked the start of the second Palestinian uprising called the al-Aqsa Intifada.

The clashes at the site of  Al Aqsa Mosque in 2021 also triggered a 10-day war with Gaza.   

Speaking about the unending conflict that revolves around the Al Aqsa mosque to WION, International Crisis Group's Programme Director, Middle East & North Africa Joost R. Hiltermann said, "Both Muslims and Jews complain that they don't have the right to pray on the holy esplanade, and both use violence. Violence can sometimes break the mould and trigger negotiations. If that happens, perhaps the situation at the holy places will improve." 

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