Sheikh Sabri called on all Palestinians to support Jerusalemites who have been performing “I’tikaf” (religious retreat) at the Aqsa Mosque to protect it against Jewish settlers’ threats, stressing that the zionist settlers plot to storm the Al-Aqsa repeatedly in the coming five days to pave the way for the practice of animal sacrifice.

“Hordes of Jewish settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem under tight police protection on Sunday morning. israeli police forces beat women and children and arrested several Palestinian worshippers with an intent to storm and evacuate Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Sheikh Sabri said. 

In a related development, 17 Palestinians were injured after Israeli police forces fired rubber bullets and stun grenades in the Bab Al-Asbat area and inside of Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

However, Palestinian worshippers confronted the zionist attacks and managed to delay storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque for 40 minutes, preventing the temple groups from performing the Talmudic rituals in the holy Islamic site.

Earlier at dawn, the zionist police forces closed several gates of the old city of Jerusalem, leaving only three gates open. They also hindered the access to Al-Aqsa Mosque for Palestinian youths under 40, except after withdrawing their ID cards. (ILKHA)