Scores of Jewish extremist settlers, on Thursday, stormed Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem, Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported. The Islamic Awqaf Department in Jerusalem, in a statement, said that the settlers entered the compound through Al-Mugharbah Gate under Israeli occupation police protection. Meanwhile, the Israeli police have banned scores of Palestinian youths from entering the mosque, as the police stressed that the mosque will be open Thursday from 7:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. till 2:30 p.m. in a decision aiming at imposing temporal and spatial division. Israeli police entered a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem to clear away Palestinian protesters on Thursday, after Jewish visits that had been paused for the Muslim holidays resumed. Recent weeks have seen several rounds of clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site for Muslims, which is built on a hilltop that is the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. It lies at the emotional heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the visits resumed, dozens of Palestinians gathered, chanting "God is greatest." Scuffles broke out when the police went to arrest one of them. Police fired rubber-coated bullets on the sprawling esplanade as some Palestinians sheltered inside the mosque itself. The police could later be seen just inside an entrance to the mosque. The police said they responded to dozens of people who were shouting incitement and throwing stones, and that one police officer was lightly injured. But unlike in previous confrontations, Palestinian witnesses said there was no sign of rock-throwing initially. Some of those who sheltered inside the mosque began throwing stones when police started to enter the building. The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Under informal arrangements known as the status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not pray there. In recent years, they have visited in ever-increasing numbers with police escorts and many have discreetly prayed, angering the Palestinians as well as neighboring Jordan, which is the custodian of the site. The Palestinians have long feared that Israel plans to eventually take over the site or partition it. Israel says it is committed to maintaining the status quo, and accuses the group Hamas of inciting the recent violence. The visits, by mostly nationalist and religious Jews, resumed Thursday after being paused for the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Eid Al-Fitr holiday. Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has warned against the ongoing violations and threats of the extremist Israeli settlers under the Israeli occupation forces' protection to storm the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and perform Talmudic prayers in its courtyards, and raise the flag of the Israel occupation inside it. The OIC considers this a flagrant violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions and an infringement on the sanctity of the mosque. The organization held the Israel occupation fully responsibe for the repercussions of the continuation of these violations, which constitute a blatant attack on the feelings of Muslims and would fuel violence and tension and lead to igniting a religious war that threatens international security and stability. The organization also called on the international community, namely the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities towards obligating Israel, the occupying force, to stop its violations and aggressions against the Palestinian people and their Islamic and Christian lands and holy sites. — Agencies
