The East London Mosque condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli forces. Their unjustifiable violence against worshippers, congregating in one of Islam’s holiest places during the blessed month of Ramadan, has left at least 152 Palestinians injured.

It is the second year in a row that Israeli troops have chosen Ramadan to desecrate one of Islam's holiest places. There can never be any justification for attacking places of worship, let alone a sanctuary for all three Abrahamic faiths.

This is a deeply worrying trend. Last year, Israel’s assault on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque sparked an 11-day war that killed at least 243 people. Friday’s assault by Israeli forces is another deliberate escalation that adds further misery to the hopelessness felt by Palestinians. There is no indication of the decades-long Israeli occupation coming to an end. Instead, as many human rights groups like Amnesty International have concluded, Israel has imposed a system of apartheid on the occupied territories.

The East London Mosque calls on the UK government and the international community to condemn the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque and to insist on respect for territorial integrity, international law and the human rights of Palestinians with the same strength and vigour that they have so effectively demonstrated in denouncing Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine.