In recent weeks, calls by Jewish extremists to sacrifice animals there have circulated widely among Palestinians on social media, sparking calls to defend the mosque.
The Palestinians and others have also said the assault was aimed at toppling the democratically elected -led government and at destabilizing the , citing the targeting of civilian infrastructure such as a and the captures of government and members.
On the Palestinian side, over 1,300 Qassam rockets have been fired into Israel from September 2000 to 21 December 2006.