Jordan has warned Israel to avoid forcibly removing people entrenched in the mosque.
Hundreds of people are said to have fortified the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and are preparing for clashes with the Israeli police, says Times of Israel (you are switching to another service) based on several media sources.
Violence has escalated in Israel since Israeli police and Muslims clashed at al-Aqsa Mosque earlier this week.
According to the Times of Israel, Jordan, which administers the Temple Mount, has warned Israel to avoid forcibly removing the people entrenched in the mosque. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, demands in its statement that the Jordanian authorities immediately remove the Palestinians from the mosque. According to the country’s media, a Jordanian official warned Israel of a dangerous escalation of the situation.
Al-Aqsa, located on the Temple Mount, is one of the holiest places for Muslims. The Western Wall, the holiest place of prayer for Jews, is also located on the Temple Mount, which Jews traditionally visit during Passover.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry says in its statement that the mosque has been fortified by “extremists” who are planning riots during Muslim prayer times and when Jews visit the Western Wall.
This month, it is feared that the already tense differences will tighten, as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Easter fall at the same time.
On Saturday evening, there was also information about the shooting that took place in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in which, according to the Israeli police, five people were wounded. The Palestinian health minister said earlier that Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian man in the West Bank.
Late on Saturday, the Israeli army said that three rockets were fired at Israel in the evening from the Syrian side. One of the rockets reportedly landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights area. Israel says it responded to the rocket attacks.
Source: AFP
The news is updated.