Man shot dead after grabbing Israeli police’s gun near Al Aqsa mosque

A 26-year-old named Mohammed Elasibi was shot dead near the disputed Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem by the Israeli police, on Saturday (April 1). According to the police, the man grabbed the gun of a police officer and fired it twice, which prompted the unit to shoot him dead, reported Times of Israel.

The incident has also reportedly been described as a terrorist attack by Israeli forces. The police later identified the individual as a 26-year-old resident of Hura, a Bedouin town in southern Israel. Subsequently, lawmaker Mansour Abbas whose party United Arab List is popular in that area said that he was a medical student and questioned the police account, as per Reuters.

Additionally, many former senior Israeli police officials also questioned the account as the unit who was present at the scene said that the incident took place at a spot not covered by security cameras. The Israeli police noted that “unfortunately the terror attack itself was not recorded on the body cameras of the officers involved,” as per Times of Israel.

However, former Jerusalem police chief Yair Itzhaki, addressing a cultural event in the Israeli city of Rishon Lezion following the incident said that it seemed unlikely there was no footage of the incident on Saturday. “I don’t see the possibility that there is no police documentation. I personally placed the array of security cameras there,” said Itzhaki, as per Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, the Israeli forces have said that the incident will be investigated by the Central Unit of Investigations of the Jerusalem District.

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is known as Temple Mount to Jews and Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, to Muslims. The holy site is of religious significance to Jews, Muslims, as well as Christians.

It incident on Saturday occurred at the edge of the Al Aqsa mosque complex which being the third-holiest after Mecca and Medina has also witnessed an uptick in Muslim attendance for the holy month of Ramadan. Notably, the holy site was relatively quiet on Saturday, reported Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)

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