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History Illustrated: The war on Al-Aqsa redux

Hamas blames Israeli settlers for the ‘desecration’ of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, part of a series of provocations.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux

By Danylo Hawaleshka

History Illustrated is a weekly series of insightful perspectives that puts news events and current affairs into historical context using graphics generated with artificial intelligence.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — Hamas blames the current war with Israel, in part, on the recent “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli settlers. These are provocations that have been going on for a long time.

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The war on Al-Aqsa redux — Earlier this year, during Ramadan, Muslims in Al-Aqsa were observing a religious ritual called itikaf.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — But Israeli police accused some worshippers of being “masked agitators”, so they stormed in with tear gas, viciously swinging batons.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — The assault resulted in international condemnation — and retaliatory rocket attacks on Israel from inside Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — Israel responded with an aerial barrage on Lebanon and Gaza — but many at the time asked, why was this happening?

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — Some said it would make it easier for hard-right Israeli settlers to enter Al-Aqsa compound, some of whom want the mosque torn down.

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The war on Al-Aqsa redux — Then on October 1, thousands of settlers started to conduct provocative tours of the mosque compound.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — On October 4, dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the compound, the third holiest site in Islam, while police prevented young Palestinians from entering the mosque.

The war on Al-Aqsa redux — In response to Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Israel seems ready for a massive ground invasion of Gaza, while the US has sent a second aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, leaving many people to wonder, when might all the death and destruction finally end?