Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound invaded by fanatic Jews
Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Wednesday forced their way into East Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to a Palestinian official.
“Since morning, over 330 settlers have poured into the compound, accompanied by about 20 policemen,” Firas al-Dibis, an official with Jerusalem’s Jordan-run Religious Endowments Authority, said in a statement.
“Settlers forced their way in through the Al-Mugharbeh Gate and toured the compound before leaving through the Al-Silsila Gate,” he added.
Dozens of Jewish settlers accompanied by Israeli security personnel forced their way into Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday, according to a Palestinian official. “More than 200 settlers backed by Israeli police have forced their way into the Al-Aqsa compound -- via the Al-Mugharbeh Gate -- since morning," Firas al-Dibs, a spokesman for Jerusalem's Islamic Waqf Authority, said in a statement.
Jewish settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque for Hanukkah
For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the “Temple Mount”, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the Jewish state -- a move never recognized by the international community.
Israeli forces rounded up 29 Palestinians in overnight raids across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a Palestinian NGO said Wednesday.Eleven people were arrested in Israeli raids on Palestinian homes in the cities of Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a statement."Eighteen more Palestinians were detained from the cities of Nablus, Jenin, Qalqiliya and Tulkarem," it added.The Israeli army has yet to issue a statement on the arrests.The Israeli army frequently conducts wide-ranging arrest campaigns in the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians.According to Palestinian figures, more than 6,400 Palestinians are currently being held in detention facilities throughout the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
29 Palestinians arrested in West Bank raids
The Palestinian Bedouin hamlet of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank will remain Palestinian land, a young Palestinian woman who had been detained by Israeli authorities said Tuesday.Nineteen-year-old Sare, who on July 5 was violently dragged on the ground in Khan al-Ahmar by Israeli forces after they tore off her headscarf, was released after being remanded in custody for about two weeks. Video and photos of the incident went viral on social media."I did not commit any crime to be taken into custody. I just tried to protect my house and homeland," she told Anadolu Agency.Sare also thanked everyone who supported the resistance against Israel's attempt to evict the area’s residents.On July 5, Israeli bulldozers destroyed a number of tents and other structures in Khan al-Ahmar, triggering clashes with local residents.There are 46 Bedouin communities scattered across Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem inhabited by some 3,000 residents.Under the 1995 Oslo agreement between Israel and Palestine, the West Bank was divided into A, B and C zones. The administrative and security authority of area A was given to Palestine while the administration of area B was given to Palestine but its security to Israel, while in area C, both administration and security authority went to Israel.Khan al-Ahmar is located in area C.Meanwhile, the 700-person Bedouin community in Abu Nuwar village, also located in area C, has refused to leave despite continuous threats and pressure from the Israeli authorities.
‘Khan al-Ahmar to remain Palestinian land’