Palestinian govt. slams new Israeli ban on al-Quds entry

Sunday, 04 October 2015 9:54 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 04 October 2015 9:54 AM ]

Israeli policemen force Palestinian worshipers to leave the area outside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on October 2, 2015. ©AFP

The Palestinian government has slammed the Israeli regime’s new restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds (Jerusalem) for two days.

“The Palestinian government denounces the Israeli escalation policy by Israeli occupation authorities against our people in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank,” it said in a statement released on Sunday in reaction to the fresh restrictions.

Earlier in the day, Israeli police announced that only Israelis, tourists, residents of the area, business owners and schoolchildren are allowed to enter the sacred site.

Only Palestinian men aged 50 and above could worship at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while Palestinian women of any age would be allowed entry.

Israeli forces stand guard as Palestinians, who were prevented from entering al-Aqsa Mosque, pray outside the mosque compound, on October 2, 2015. ©AFP

The measure was taken after two Israelis were killed and two others wounded during clashes between a Palestinian man and Israeli settlers in al-Quds on Saturday night.

Tensions have been on the rise in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds over the past several days, with Israeli forces attacking Palestinian protesters at the holy site.

Israel has applied sweeping restrictions on entries into al-Aqsa Mosque compound since August 26. The mosque is Islam’s third holiest site after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.

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