Israelis storm Al-Aqsa complex

OnIslam & News Agencies

AL QUDS – Responding to extremist calls to storm Al-Aqsa, dozens of Jewish settlers, protected by the Israeli police, broke into the mosque compound on Sunday, May 24, to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

“Around 120 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa complex through Al-Magharbeh Gate in groups under the protection of Israeli police,” General Director of Muslim Endowments and Al-Aqsa Affairs Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib told Anadolu Agency.

“The settlers wandered around the compound and tried to preform Talmudic rituals near Al-Rahmeh and Al-Haded gates, but Muslim worshipers prevented them.”

Media coordinator at Al Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage, Mahmoud Abu Atta, said that more than 40 settlers forced their way into the mosque at the morning and organized a tour in different parts of its courtyards.

Sunday’s attack followed calls by several Israeli organizations to collectively raid the Muslims’ third most sacred mosque of Al-Aqsa on Sunday and Monday on the occasion of Revelation of the Torah.

In a bid to protect the holy mosque, several Palestinian worshipers gathered to protest against the Israeli intrusions.

Besides denying many Muslims an access to the complex, five Palestinians, including two women, were arrested by the Israeli police.

The Israeli threats to Al-Aqsa mosque are not the first.

In recent years, the Israeli government, in coordination with powerful settler groups, began digging an extensive tunnel network throughout the Old City.

Israel describes the tunnels as “tourist projects” that pose no threat to Islamic holy places.

However, Palestinians and some Israeli organizations, including the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition, believe that the ultimate goal is to create a subterranean access route to attack Al-Aqsa and other Islamic shrines in the area.

A section of the Aqsa Mosque’s yard caved in last year as a result of Israeli excavations underneath.

The collapse happened near the Qaitbay fountain in the western section of the mosque.

The one-meter deep hole was viewed as an ominous harbinger for things to come.

Al-Aqsa is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after Al Ka`bah in Makkah and Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.