The Arab leader - who last month announced his resignation as Palestinian Liberation Organization chief - said in a statement that he “strongly condemned the aggression of the Israeli storming of al-Aqsa this morning with troops and occupation police.”
Meanwhile, Jordan, which has custodian rights over Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also condemned the assault on the flashpoint holy site.
“The Jordanian government condemns the assault carried out by special forces of the Israeli occupation army against the Al-Aqsa mosque compound,” Information Minister Mohammed Momani said.
He accused Israel of “provocations” and “attempts to change the status quo” at one of the most sensitive holy sites in the Middle East.
Jordan was not the only Arab country to slam Israel’s assault as Egypt, the only other Arab country to have signed a peace treaty with the Jewish state, also condemned Israeli actions at the compound, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.
The Egyptian foreign ministry condemned the use of tear gas and sound bombs as an “unacceptable escalation against Muslim holy places in the occupied Palestinian territories”.
Under the current status quo, Jews are permitted to visit the esplanade but not to pray there for fear it would cause friction with Muslim worshippers.
Earlier on Sunday, Muslim witnesses said Israeli police entered the mosque and caused damage to prayer mats.
Israeli police said only that they closed the doors to the mosque to lock in rioters throwing stones, fireworks and other objects.
They said clashes continued outside the compound in the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City, where they responded with tear gas and stun grenades.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said 20 people required hospital treatment.
The mosque compound is the site of frequent clashes. In late July, Israeli police entered Al-Aqsa as they clashed with Muslims angered by Jews’ access to the compound on an annual day of Jewish mourning.
alarabiya.net by AFP
13/9/15
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Related:
Clashes have erupted after a number of Israeli soldiers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, police and witnesses said....
ReplyDeleteThe Israeli security personnel used tear gas and stun grenades, as they entered the compound to arrest what they called Palestinian "stone throwers".
Omar Kiswani, the manager of Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Al Jazeera that 80 "Jewish settlers" protected by the Israeli police, attacked the mosque when confronted by Palestinian volunteer guards.
A statement issued by the Israeli police said that "masked protesters who were inside the mosque threw stones and fireworks at police".
A Muslim witness accused police of entering the mosque and causing damage, saying prayer mats were partially burned.
Clashes later continued outside the mosque complex, with police firing tear gas and stun grenades.
Israeli security forces closed the mosque's compound to worshippers following the clashes that come just hours before the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.
Abbas condemns
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned what he called an "attack" by Israeli authorities............http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/israeli-soldiers-enter-al-aqsa-compound-150913053840074.html