On April 2, 2023, an Israeli soldier shot and killed a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, identified by the Palestinian Authority as Mohammad Ra’ed Baradiyah, 24. Witnesses told the Palestinian Wafa news agency that Baradiyah was shot in his car near the town of Beit Ummar, and that medics were denied access to the wounded man. The Israeli military said Baradiyah was shot dead after he rammed his car into a group of soldiers, and Israeli medics said three people were wounded, two of them seriously. Earlier on the same day, Israeli police shot dead another Palestinian man at the Chain Gate, an access point to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. Palestinian worshippers at the entrance to the site said the police shot 26-year-old Mohammad Khaled al-Osaibi at least 10 times after he tried to prevent them from harassing a woman who was on her way to the holy compound. The police, however, alleged al-Osaibi tried to take a gun from an officer and fired it in a scuffle. Al-Osaibi’s family has disputed the police account of his death and demanded to see security camera footage.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque complex has been a site of tension and violence between Israelis and Palestinians for decades. The site is located in the Old City of Jerusalem, which is under Israeli control but is also claimed by Palestinians as their capital. The compound is holy to both Muslims and Jews, and the area has been a flashpoint for violence and unrest. In recent years, there have been numerous clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly during periods of heightened religious significance. The 11-day Israeli assault on Gaza in 2021 was sparked in part by violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.
The ongoing conflict over the status of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex remains a major source of tension between Israelis and Palestinians, and a significant obstacle to any lasting peace agreement.
