As Israeli officials moved to “gradually reopen” the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem for afternoon prayers yesterday after three days of closure, officials from the Islamic Endowment (Waqf) that runs the holy site refused to pass through new metal detectors that were installed at the compound’s entrances, according to Ma’an News Agency.
The attempt to reopen the compound came upon an order from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after it had been closed following a deadly shooting attack inside the compound that left two Israeli border policemen killed and three Palestinian assailants shot dead on Friday.
After discussions with “top security leadership,” Netanyahu announced additional security measures at the holy site, including the installation of the metal detectors as well as security cameras outside the compound, Ma’an reported.
Earlier yesterday, director of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani voiced his disapproval of the measures while speaking to the Voice of Palestine radio station, saying “it is a dangerous and unprecedented move to impose control over Al-Aqsa mosque.”
When Israeli authorities attempted to reopen the mosque at 12:30pm
before afternoon prayers, Waqf officials refused to pass through the metal detectors.
Israeli occupation authorities
Israeli border police stand guard by newly-installed security metal detectors at the entrance to Al-Aqsa compound yesterday. took control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque after the 1967 war, expanding their ambitious schemes to Judaise Jerusalem, demolish the Al-Aqsa Mosque and establish the alleged temple and by increasing their settlement expansion’s activity surrounding the city of Jerusalem from all directions.
