’Israeli’ Extremists Repeatedly Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque during Passover Week

Local Editor

Extremist "Israeli" settlers reportedly backed by security forces had stormed the al-Aqsa mosque in al-Quds [Jerusalem] for the fourth time since the beginning of the Passover week. They shouted racist slogans and attempted to conduct religious rituals forbidden at the site.

A new string of clashes erupted at the al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday as far-right "Israeli" settlers under heavy protection from police broke into the mosque, local media reported.

Two groups of around 50 men were said to have shouted racist and provocative slogans and attempted to pray at the site.

A number of "Israeli" settlers and Palestinians were detained for violating the site's regulations since the first day of Passover.

The clashes were first reported on Friday when "Israeli" settlers stormed the mosque and took a baby goat to the site to carry out a sacrificial ritual. Police managed to prevent the procedure by arresting at least seven people.

A number of arrests were also made this week.

""Israel" Police escorted roughly 1,050 people to the Temple Mount, including 885 tourists and over 100 "Israelis", and during the visit 13 were removed from the area for not behaving according to the security measures that were implemented," said Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.

On Tuesday "Israeli" extremists beat up the site's guards and threatened to slaughter them, according to local media.

"Israeli settlers stormed al-Aqsa Mosque this morning under the protection of the "Israeli" police. They beat the guards and threatened to slaughter them," spokesman of the Public Relations Department in the Jerusalem Islamic Awqaf Firas Al-Dibs said as quoted by Middle East Monitor.

According to the spokesman, the settlers said "we will slaughter you during our festivals instead of goats".

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that the "Israeli" entity would heighten security around the site during Passover in order to prevent "riots."

On Sunday, in a statement given to Petra news agency, Jordan's Sate Minister for Media Affairs condemned the storming of the al-Aqsa mosque by "Israeli" settlers and police, saying that such actions are a violation of international law and will lead to serious consequences.

He demanded that "Israeli" security forces immediately halt such practices and deny entry to "Israeli" settlers approaching the site, and called for the removal of "Israeli" security forces from the area.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team