A senior Muslim cleric says Israeli forces threw stun grenades into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and attacked Palestinian worshippers.
On Sunday, Grand Mufti of al-Quds Mohammed Ahmad Hussein said Israeli forces also fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians who were gathering outside the mosque, injuring several of them, Reuters reported.
Hussein warned against such acts, describing the attack as a “very dangerous escalation” of violence by Israeli forces.
The Israeli police have denied the account, claiming their officers threw the stun grenades on a plaza outside the mosque.
The al-Aqsa Mosque has been the scene of clashes in recent months following frequent visits by Israeli settlers and officials to the Muslim holy site. Israeli forces also prevent Muslim worshipers from freely entering the mosque.
The al-Aqsa compound, which lies in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds, is a flashpoint. The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism. It is also Islam’s third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry slammed Israel for preventing UN and European diplomats to pass through a barricade to attend a pre-Easter ritual at a church in al-Quds.
Serry said Israeli troops stopped him as well as Italian, Norwegian and Dutch diplomats for up to a hour near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, crushed by a crowd of worshipers against a barricade, before they managed to pass. He said his appeal to speak with a superior was ignored as well.
Criticizing “unacceptable behavior from the Israeli security authorities,” Serry called on the Tel Aviv regime to “respect the right of religious freedom.”
MN/MAM
No comments:
Post a Comment