2022 Israeli-Palestinian clashes

Palestinians said that the Israeli officers entered the building just after the Muezzin announced the Adhan, while police said that they had waited until after the prayers ended, as stun grenades and firecrackers used in the clashes went off.[13] Palestinian witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said a small group of Palestinians threw rocks at police Israeli before.[14] police temporarily blocked the Damascus Gate and restricted other entrances to exclude young men while permitting women, older men and children. Israeli police then left six hours later, with the rest of the day's prayer going uninterrupted.[15] After the initial clashes, violence resumed as Israeli forces reentered Al-Aqsa, conducting a second raid which injured 19 people.[16] Israeli authorities prevented a nationalist march from occurring on April 20, banning Itamar Ben-Gvir from visiting the Damascus Gate, fearing violence "which would endanger the lives of Israeli soldiers and police".[17] Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa again on April 22, resulting in dozens of Palestinian injuries.[18] On April 29, Israeli police again entered the site, resulting in 42 Palestinian injuries.[19][20]

On 30 April, Muslim worshipers confronted rioters in al-Aqsa and said "You are harming us". As in previous days, masked rioters reached the steps of the Temple Mount, waved Hamas flags and sang in praise. Hundreds of worshipers stopped the police forces who were on their way to disperse the riots, and confronted themselves: "You are destroying the prayer, your actions will ignite the area".[21]

As a result of the aforementioned clashes at Jenin, tensions in the West Bank were high prior to the disturbances at Al-Aqsa.[22] Israeli forces shot a 14 year old teenager for throwing a Molotov Cocktail at Israeli forces on April 14.[23] Israeli forces raided the village of Yaabad, the hometown of the perpetrator of the 2022 Tel Aviv shooting. Fighting broke out on 20 April between IDF personnel and Palestinians, resulting in two arrests.[24]

On 18 April, Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired a rocket into Israel in response to the Israeli raid on Al-Aqsa. The Rocket was reportedly intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.[25] On 22 April Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched 3 more rockets into Israel in retaliation for the renewed raid on Al-Aqsa, with one rocket falling short and causing an injury and the rest landing in open fields.[26]

Israeli aircraft struck a Hamas weapons depot on April 18.[27] Following this, on April 21, in response to renewed rocket fire, Israel struck several targets in Gaza. Two training camps, a security post, and an underground site used to produce rocket engines were hit by airstrikes.[28]

On 25 April, one rocket was fired from southern Lebanon into Israel, landing in an open area near Shlomi. The rocket was likely fired by Palestinian factions in the country.[29] The IDF responded by firing artillery shells toward the source of the rocket fire.[30]