The Israeli occupation police last night broke into Islam’s third holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem’s Old City, and forced everyone there, including the official Waqf employees and the all-night worshippers, to leave the compound, according to witnesses. They said the police closed all gates to the walled holy compound and prevented people from entering it without giving any explanation for their actions. The women all-night worshippers decided to hold their vigil at the steps of Damascus Gate, the main gate to Jerusalem’s Old City, in protest of the police action before the police also forced them to leave the area. The police act is believed related to keeping the Muslim holy compound empty of Palestinian worshippers when the fanatic Jews start their morning provocative storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque were later reopened but only older people were allowed in. This morning, dozens of Jewish extremists and settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and walked around its courtyards, some holding Jewish rituals in violation of the status quo, which states that only Muslims can hold prayer in the walled compound. Muslims usually hold all night and day prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the first 10 days of the Muslim Thu al-Hijja month, which reaches a high point on the 10th of the month with the pilgrimage in Makkah.
Source: Palestine News & Information Agency