Zionist regime forces to limit access to al-Aqsa Mosque

Israeli police say they will limit access for Muslims to al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) during Friday prayers.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said on Thursday that men under the age of 50 will be barred from Friday prayers.

The al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, AFP cited police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld as saying that the police had entered the compound to disperse Palestinian protesters. Rosenfeld said police had used “means of dispersion” against the protesters.

In recent months, Israeli forces and settlers have stepped up their attacks on the mosque. This has led to violent confrontations between the two sides.

Earlier in the month, Israeli forces stormed the holy site in East al-Quds during Friday prayers. Israeli soldiers fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at the people who were praying at the mosque. At least 20 people, including children, were wounded in the violence.

Also on Tuesday, Knesset (the Israeli parliament) discussed a plan to annex the site, but the debate did not result in a vote or any practical measures.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday condemned the debate as a “dangerous escalation,” calling it part of Israel’s goal to “Judaize Jerusalem”.

The Palestinian Authority and the resistance movement Hamas have also warned against Israeli plans to impose “sovereignty” on the al-Aqsa Mosque.