Since the early morning, Israeli forces closed several gates of the holy site and denied entry to more than 500 religious students
Israeli forces fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at Palestinian worshippers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) on Sunday, a Palestinian official said.
“Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa compound through Al-Selseleh Gate,” Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, director-general of Muslim endowments and Al-Aqsa affairs in Al-Quds, told Anadolu Agency.
“The Israeli forces fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at the worshippers and surrounded a handful of them in Al-Qibali Mosque inside the compound,” he said.
According to al-Khatib, since the early morning, Israeli forces closed several gates of the holy site and denied entry to more than 500 religious students.
Earlier in the day, al-Khatib said that the Israeli police closed most of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound’s gates and prevented Palestinian worshippers under the age of 50 from entering.
The measures came as several Jewish extremist groups called on its followers to storm the site on the occasion of Purim Jewish holiday, which is celebrated Sunday.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in statement that “stones were thrown at police officers” at Al-Magharbeh Gate as the site was opened to visitors.
Naser Qous, an Al-Aqsa guard, said that a number of worshipers were wounded during the clashes with Israeli police, and one of the injured was transported to hospital.
In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by Israeli security forces – have repeatedly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third holiest site.
Jews refer to the area as the “Temple Mount,” claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied Al-Quds during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state./worldbulletin/