[News Spot] The Shared Holy Site of Islam and Judaism... The Tragedy of 'Al Aqsa'

In the early hours of the 7th, the Palestinian armed faction Hamas launched a surprise attack named 'Al-Aqsa flood,' firing thousands of rockets toward Israel and infiltrating armed militants on paragliders. Hamas claims this attack was due to "Israel's hostile actions against Al-Aqsa, which have recently reached a peak." As the armed conflict between the two sides escalates into a full-scale war, the number of casualties, including civilians, has already exceeded thousands.

Al-Aqsa refers to a highland area of about 144,000 square meters within the Old City of Jerusalem, a region dense with holy sites, and the mosque built there. The term Al-Aqsa means 'the farthest' in Arabic. Muslims regard this place as the 'Noble Sanctuary' where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and it is considered one of the three holiest sites alongside Mecca and Medina. Israeli Jews also call it the 'Temple Mount,' as it is the site where their ancestor Abraham was said to have prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac to Yahweh (the Hebrew word for God), and where Solomon's Temple was built and later destroyed. It is also a Christian holy site, containing Golgotha Hill where Jesus carried the cross and his tomb. Thus, Al-Aqsa is a significant holy site for Islam, Judaism, and Christianity alike.

Currently, the Al-Aqsa Islamic Mosque is managed by Jordan under an agreement with Israel. Jews and Christians are allowed to visit the mosque, but only Muslims are permitted to pray inside the compound. Jews pray at the 'Western Wall,' located outside the Temple Mount.

This religious background has long been a source of conflict between Israel and Palestine. Some disgruntled Israelis have held large-scale protests condemning the Islamic community around the Temple Mount for years, occasionally leading to violent clashes with numerous casualties. The '11-day war' in May 2021, which resulted in over 200 deaths, began when Israeli police forcefully suppressed anti-Israel protests by Palestinian Muslims at the mosque. In May of this year, tensions escalated when far-right Israeli politicians provocatively entered the mosque compound.

Muslims fear that their exclusive right to worship at this site is being infringed upon and that the heritage site itself is threatened by the growing far-right Jewish movement and the activities of Israel's far-right government. Hamas also stated at the start of this attack, "We launched the Al-Aqsa storm attack on Saturday to defend the holy site."

The international community mostly regards this area as occupied territory, but Palestinians want it to be the capital of a future independent state. Conversely, Israel claims it as its true capital, having taken it from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and unifying East and West Jerusalem.

Although the exact reason why Hamas launched this sudden and shocking attack against Israel is not yet clear, considering the operation's name, Al-Aqsa flood, it is presumed that religious motives played the most significant role.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.