RAMALLAH, Palestine
Israel’s provocations will turn the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem into a “battlefield,” Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned on Sunday, April 9.
Violence escalated in the Palestinian territories after Israeli police forcibly evicted worshipers from the mosque grounds last week.
Constant Israeli raids on the place of worship triggered rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon, to which Israel responded with air and artillery fire.
“The daily attacks on holy sites and worshipers during the holy month of Ramadan are condemned and unacceptable acts that will inflame and drag the region into the abyss,” Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.
See Also: Israel Closes Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Muslim Worshipers for Passover
The spokesman held Israel fully responsible for any possible worsening of the situation in the occupied territories.
“The Israeli occupation is trying to oppose the will of our people, but that will not discourage them. Our people will stand firm and defend their country and sanctity no matter what the cost,” he added.
“Jerusalem with its holy places is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine. All Israeli actions and US support will not achieve security and stability,” he said.
On Sunday, more than 900 Israeli settlers crowded into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound amid tight Israeli security measures, according to Jordan-led Jerusalem department Waqf.
For Muslims, Al Aqsa is the third holiest site in the world. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount and claim it is the site of two ancient Jewish temples.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.
*Ahmed Asmar and Aicha Sandoval Alaguna contributed to the writing of this note.
The Anadolu Agency website contains only part of the news offered to the subscribers of the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), in summary form.