The occupation prevents Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa while allowing dozens of settlers to break-in
For the second consecutive day, the Israeli forces continued their siege on Al-Aqsa Mosque and prevented Muslims from entering while allowing setters to break-in on occasion of the “Shavuot” holiday. Witnesses from inside Al-Aqsa said that dozens of settlers broke into Al-Aqsa through Dung Gate in the form of groups. Among them was the member of Knesset, Michael Ben Ari, who broke into Al-Aqsa along with another group of extremists and chanted “the Temple Mount is now in our hands”. Also, Rabbi Yehuda Galik was among the settlers breaking into Al-Aqsa and led three groups and they performed their religious rituals while inside Al-Aqsa and under heavy protection from the police. One settler verbally assaulted Sheikh Abdelatheem Salhab, director of Al-Awqaf council, and the guards confronted the setters and the police immediately took him outside Al-Aqsa. Witnesses also explained that the Israeli police closed all of Al-Aqsa Gates except for (Hutta, Al-Majles and Al-Silsileh) and established iron barriers at the gates. They also prevented men under the age of 50 from entering Al-Aqsa as well as preventing women of all ages and Al-Aqsa students (Masateb). Scattered clashes broke out near Al-Aqsa Gates between the worshippers and the forces stationed at the Gates. The forces arrested one man near Hutta Gate while attempting to enter Al-Aqsa. Religious officials confirmed that the occupation and settlers profaned Al-Aqsa on Tuesday and said: “the occupation is imposing the - Temporal division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque- between the Jews and Muslims. They prevented Muslims of all ages (women, children, students and young men) from entering Al-Aqsa on Monday morning and until the afternoon and only allowed the elderly who are above 50 years of age to enter, and then opened the Gates at 4 p.m.”
