Alwaght- Like every year, millions in Iran and hundreds of thousands in the other Muslim countries marked the annual Quds Day in solidarity with the Palestinian nation and the resistance groups fighting bravely for liberation of Palestine. This year's Quds Day was more significant than before due to its massiveness and the fast-moving developments in the occupied Palestinian territories. The glorious marking of the Quds Day in Iran and other countries in the region showed that Palestine remains the top-priority issue in the Islamic world and that the plots of the Arab mercenary regimes behind normalization of relations with the Israeli regime and their betrayal of Palestinian cause will fail.
Israeli troops clash with Palestinian worshipers
In addition to the Iranians and other Muslim states, the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip and the West Bank marked the world Quds Day, condemning over 70 years of Israeli occupation of their country. In their marches, they emphasized their continued struggle against the occupiers until the latter are expelled from the historical land of Palestine, noting that the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations continue to defend Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
Friday morning, tens of thousands of Palestinian worshipers entered the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque to attend the last Friday prayer of Ramadan, amid tight security and widespread restrictions by the Israeli military. The Israeli forces attacked Al-Aqsa Mosque, clashed with Palestinians in different parts of the mosque, and fired plastic bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas at them. According to local sources, the attacks took place as dozens of buses were transporting Palestinians to the holy mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan which marks the Quds Day.
Palestinian media reported that the Israeli forces attacked the Bab al-Magharib area and fired plastic bullets at the Muslim guards at the entrance to the holy city. The Palestinian Red Crescent announced that 42 Palestinian worshipers at the mosque were injured during an attack by the Israeli forces. According to the Palestine Al-Youm news website, Israeli troops prevented ambulances from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque for treating the wounded. At the same time, an Israeli media outlet reported the Israeli army decision to send six new units to the West Bank due to concerns about the possibility of escalating clashes in the region.
Quds Day across Axis of Resistance
Tens of thousands of Iraqis marched on world Al-Quds Day in the cities of the central and southern provinces. In Basra and Maysan, meanwhile, hundreds of cars held a parade. During the Basra march, dozens of religious figures and members of resistance groups, along with citizens, chanted anti-Israel and anti-compromise slogans against the Israeli regime. In Dhi Qar, hundreds of Iraqi tribal figures took part in a popular pro-Palestinian march.
Also, a conference of tribes against occupation and colonialism was held at the Zamzam Hotel in Najaf city with the presence of more than one hundred of heads of Najaf province's tribes. In this ceremony, Ayatollah Ka'abi, the representative of the people of Iran's Khuzestan province in the Assembly of Experts, addressed Al-Quds and Yemen and the role of Iraqi tribes in the historical struggle against the occupation and colonization in Iraq and the struggle against the Israeli regime. Then, some tribal leaders expressed their views on the Palestinian issue. Also, the presence of Iraqi university students in the rallies was considerable.
In addition to Iraq, the Syrians in the capital Damascus took to the streets on Friday and expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Syrian media published pictures of the participation of the Syrians, describing the turnout as "massive." The Syrians insisted on continuation of resistance.
Young Afghans in a spontaneous move organized a motor parade, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians and anger with the Israeli occupation. Waving Palestinian flags, the young Afghans highlighted resistance until liberation of Palestine and condemned the massacring of the Palestinians.
In the Bahraini capital Manama people took to the streets on Quds Day. They chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and expressed opposition to normalization with the Israeli government.
In Yemen, too, massive rallies were held in the capital Sana'a and 13 other provinces.
Iranian rallies draw massive attention on Arab media
Arab media published the presence of millions of Iranian and the reiteration of their support to the Palestinian people. Yemen's Al-Masirah news network reported "massive" turnout in Quds Day. It pointed to the statement of the rallies, reporting that the Iranians condemned the normalization as an "unforgivable betrayal and a dirty plot aimed at undermining the resistance and the Palestinian cause."
Al-Ahd news network of Iraq covered the Quds Day marches in Tehran and various cities in Iran live. According to the network, the participants chanted slogans against the Israeli regime and in support of the Palestinian people.
Also, Al-Arabi Al-Jadid website shed light on the Iranian Quds Day turnout, writing: "Iranians took part in large-scale marches in various cities today, Friday, to mark International Quds Day, on last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan."
The Yemeni Saba news agency was another Arab outlet to report on Quds Day in Iran, reporting that the Quds Day marches in Tehran and other provinces of Iran are in response to the call of the late Leader Imam Khomeini who named the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as world Quds Day.
"Iranian officials, along with fasting people, took to the streets and marched to condemn the Israeli oppression against the Palestinian people," reported Saba news.
The Lebanese Al-Manar news network reported that the Iranian people called the liberation of Al-Quds a fundamental issue of the Islamic world and condemned the normalization of relations in all its forms with the occupying regime.
The Iraqi Al-Maalomah news website reported on the Iranian marches. It wrote that under the coronavirus conditions the Quds Day rallies was not held over the past two years but this year in addition to Iran, 90 other countries marked the event that censures the "crimes of the child-killer Israeli regime against the Palestinians."
Western media surprised by the Iranian turnout
In addition to Arab media, Western media reported a magnificent turnout in the Quds Day in support of the Palestinians who have been under Western-imposed Israeli occupation for over 7 decades. The AP reported that the "Iranians took part in Friday rallies in the capital, Tehran, on the occasion of Quds Day, which Iran says is an opportunity to express support for the Palestinians." The news agency added that this was the first time the marches had been held since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
"Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, led by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran has been celebrating the last Friday of Ramadan as Quds Day," the American news agency reported, adding: "Participants chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America"; slogans that have become a tradition in Iran since the Iranian Revolution in large marches."
The Reuters was another Western news agency to report on the significant event.
"Israel's actions are creating conditions for its own destruction," the Reuters quoted an address by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) chief General Hussein Salami to the participants during Quds Day rally at which the country’s new domestically-made Kheibar Buster missile was displayed.
President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s military commanders and senior officials also attended the rallies in which people were allowed to march through the streets, the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago, reported the Reuters.
Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, a London-based website, reported that the Iranians took to the streets to show backing to the Palestinians amid a new round of raids carried out by the Israeli police that injured tens of citizens in the West Bank. Citing Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the website reported that people across the country raised Palestinian flags and chanted "death to Israel" and "death to America." The Iranians carried banners that read "Al-Quds is ours" and "Quds Day is Islam's day," reported Al-Arabi Al-Jadid.
