Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa this morning, whilst Palestinian visitors are refused entry unless they undergo intrusive searches, according to the Palestinian Information Centre.
Entering through the Mughrabi Gate under the protection of armed Israeli police, a group of settlers stormed the compound. Numerous other gates to the mosque remain closed.
Some of Al-Aqsa’s gates were reopened yesterday after the installation of metal detectors at each entrance, which Muslim visitors refuse to pass though. Sheikh Omar Qiswani, head of the Islamic Waqf which manages the mosque, encouraged Muslim worshippers at Lion’s Gate not to enter if they had to undergo searches.
A precedent that will be repeated in Jerusalem
The Israeli occupation will repeat the precedent of closing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the pr… pic.twitter.com/ZfL6PhSdKF
— Denis Denisov (@betiforex_com) July 17, 2017
Restrictions on Palestinian access to the mosque are seen as a violation of the status quo, which refers to the arrangement between Israeli occupying forces and the mosque authority in allowing worshippers to visit the Muslim holy site.
After last week’s deadly shootout, Israelis called upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to further restrict access to Al-Aqsa to bolster Israel’s control of the area.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
