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Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Israeli raid at Al-Aqsa mosque risks igniting violence, Arab League says

Israeli security forces take position at the Al-Aqsa compound, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, while tension arises during clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem's Old City, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The Arab League on Wednesday strongly condemned an Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, saying it put regional stability at risk.

In a statement issued after an emergency meeting on the incident, the League condemned what it called "crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against defenceless Muslim worshippers" in the mosque.

The pre-dawn raid risked "igniting a spiral of violence that threatens security and stability in the region and the world", it added.

FILE PHOTO-Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends a news conference at the Arab Gulf Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the situation had been caused by "extremists" who barricaded themselves inside the mosque with weapons, stones and fireworks.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit had earlier condemned the raid in a separate statement.

"The extremist approaches that control the policy of the Israeli government will lead to widespread confrontations with the Palestinians if they are not put to an end," he said.

(Reporting by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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