Muhammad Alesibi, a suspected 26-year-old Palestinian terrorist from the village of Hora, was killed on Saturday night by Israeli policemen in the Old City of Jerusalem. The police have claimed that Alesibi was going through a security check near the main gate to the Temple Mount, when he attacked a policeman, stole his weapon and fired a shot from the gun towards other Israeli forces on the scene. Security checkpoints in the old city are standard at entracnes to holy sites such as the Western Wall and the Temple Mount; all who wish to visit the sites have to pass through them, Jew, Christian and Muslim alike.
Despite the Police’s narrative of the unfortunate chain of events that took place, Alesibi's family claims that the police are lying, that their son did not try to carry out an attack and that he got into an argument with the police forces. The family demanded that the police show the video of the event. As a result, the internal affairs unit which investigates police activities has started a mandatory investigation of the incident.
2/4 The suspect was alone and was stopped for questioning by police officers after the Temple Mount's closing time. During the stop, the suspect suddenly attacked one of the officers and tried to grab his secured gun
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) April 1, 2023
Following the family's claims, the police issued two clarifications in which it was stated that “Alesibi was detained further (than the standard screening) for questioning by the police as he was trying to pass after the Temple Mount's closing time. At one point he lashed out and attacked one of the police who asked him to leave the area while trying to snatch a gun from him. He managed to grab the gun and fire two bullets. In response, police officers in the area shot at him.”
4/4 The investigation of the shooting attack has been assigned to the central unit of the Jerusalem District
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) April 1, 2023
Meanwhile, a forensic analysis of the weapon that Alesibi was said to have grabbed showed that his DNA was on the weapon, including on the trigger. This fact confirms that not only did Alesibi grab the gun, his finger was in a position to fire the weapon and considering the weapon was missing bullets and had residue indicating it was fired, the police believe this is enough to justifytheir narrative of events.
4/6 These findings are in addition to the testimonies of the police officers which were taken after the attack, and to other evidence which indicates that it's unequivocally a theft of a police officers service weapon and a shooting attack, just as reported on the night of attack
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) April 2, 2023
The police noted that the initial investigation shows that Alesibi had recently become devoutly religious. In addition, for a reason that is not yet clear, one of his social media accounts was deleted after the attack by an unknown person. The police also claimed that contrary to the publications of the incident, the area where the incident took place was in the inner part of the chain gate in the Old City which is under the auspices of the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian agency that oversees the Muslim holy site, and therefore, there are no Israeli security cameras as per the agreeement between Israel and Jordan. PRactically speaking, the area is considered a blind spot in the vast network of Israeli controlled cameras surrounding the entire city.
2/17 Documentation of the moment of the attack from the closed Chain Gate. The attack was behind the closed gate and was not observed on camera as stated. People hear the shooting and flee the scene pic.twitter.com/Zpp4Zdmzqu
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) April 1, 2023
"All the security cameras were checked in the area, and unfortunately the attack itself was not recorded on security cameras or on the body cameras of the police officers, who in those seconds were fighting the terrorist and working to neutralize him. Also, the attack did not take place in the outer part of the chain gate, which is indeed well documented, but rather in the inner part and in a blind spot."
In response, Israeli-Arab Ra'am party chairman Mansour Abbas tweeted: "I don't believe the police version that there is no documentation from the security cameras. There is an attempt to cover up and hide the truth."
The Police Commissioner also released a statement: "After hearing from the district commander and being briefed on all the data regarding the incident, I have no doubt that this is a terrorist attack. We fully support the police officers and commanders who acted. This unusual event must not overshadow the continuation of Ramadan, and the hundreds of thousands who come to celebrate in Jerusalem. We must maintain operational readiness and operational duties and we will continue to work in the most professional way we know how to enable freedom of religion and the exercising those rights.”
This is how the anti-Israel media incites violence. Headline is “Israeli forces shoot Palestinian in al-Aqsa Mosque”. Sounds horrible!
— e_michael 🔵🇨🇿 (@e_michael1) March 31, 2023
BUT… this was at the chain gate entrance to the Temple Mount, not in the mosque.
AND, soldiers claim he was trying to grab a weapon. https://t.co/WR8p5v2q4Q
It is relevant to note that in senstive areas such as the entrance to the Temple Mount, where Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand, Israel tyically stations Muslim security officers specifically to help ease tensions as visitors pass through the security checks.
