6 Battles and Uprisings Ignited at Al-Aqsa
Over the decades, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque
has served as a central flashpoint in the Palestinian consciousness, with
numerous popular uprisings and confrontations intertwined with it—events that
shifted the course of the conflict at several pivotal turning points. Below are
the most prominent of these uprisings:
1.The Tunnel Uprising (1996)
It broke out after the occupation opened a
tunnel beneath the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, triggering widespread
confrontations across Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
The uprising resulted in the martyrdom of 63 Palestinians and the injury of
approximately 1,600 others over three days of intense clashes.
2.
The Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000)
It was
ignited by Ariel Sharon's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque on September 28, 2000,
escalating into a full-scale intifada that lasted several years.
In its early days, dozens of Palestinians were martyred and thousands more were
wounded. Over the course of its years, the intifada's toll surpassed 4,000
Palestinian martyrs and tens of thousands of injured, according to widely cited
Palestinian and international estimates.
3. The Bab
al-Asbat Uprising (2017)
It
erupted after the occupation installed electronic gates at the entrances of
Al-Aqsa Mosque following a shooting operation in Jerusalem.
The uprising lasted approximately 13 days (July 14–27, 2017), during which
Jerusalemites refused to enter the mosque through the gates and organized
sit-ins and collective prayers outside its doors — ultimately forcing the
occupation to remove the electronic gates, cameras, and newly imposed security
measures, and to reverse its decisions.
4.The Bab al-Rahma
Uprising (2019)
It
erupted following the occupation's decision to close the Gate of Mercy prayer
hall inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, prompting Jerusalemites to organize widespread
sit-ins and popular events that ended with the reopening of the prayer hall and
the resumption of prayers within it in February 2019 — a moment widely regarded
as a victory for the popular will of Jerusalem's people.
Yet the
battle over the Bab al-Rahma (Gate of Mercy) did not end there.
The occupation authorities — represented by the occupation police and
"Israeli" courts — have continued their attempts to re-close the
prayer hall or impose restrictions on its use, as part of ongoing efforts to
alter the status quo inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
5.The Sword of
Jerusalem Battle (2021)
It came
against the backdrop of aggressions in Jerusalem, the Sheikh Jarrah
neighborhood, and the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, escalating into an 11-day
military confrontation between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation —
bringing the cause of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa back to the forefront of the
international stage.
6. Al-Aqsa Flood
(2023)
It
erupted on October 7, 2023, amid escalating raids and violations against
Al-Aqsa Mosque, marking one of the most significant turning points in the
Palestinian-"Israeli" conflict.
In the
wake of the battle, the "Israeli" occupation launched a sweeping
assault on the Gaza Strip, targeting civilians, infrastructure, and vital
facilities. According to official statements issued by Palestinian health
authorities, the assault resulted in more than 73,035 martyrs and 173,368
injured — making it one of the bloodiest wars in the history of the
contemporary Palestinian cause.
Al-Aqsa
Mosque remains a symbol of Palestinian national identity and a primary catalyst
for popular uprisings and intifadas. Successive events have proven that any
violation against it — or any attempt to alter its historical and religious
status quo — swiftly becomes a spark that ignites waves of resistance and
confrontation, with repercussions extending across Palestinian and regional
arenas.
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