The Islamic authority that oversees Muslim holy sites in al-Quds has warned that any Israeli plan to seize part of al- Aqsa Mosque would mean the demise of the occupying entity.
In a statement released on Thursday, Sheikh Bakirat, deputy director of the Islamic Awqaf (Endowment) organization, warned against ignoring Israel’s Judaization schemes that target the holy mosque.
He also warned of Israeli attempts to change the status quo of the al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in Islam.
Israel, he said, would not waste any opportunity to divide the holy site spatially between Muslims and Jews.
Sheikh Bakirat revealed that the Israeli regime is considering seizing at least one of the four locations at the holy compound.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, he said, will remain “an Islamic holy site” despite all vicious Israeli attempts to tame the Arab governments into accepting the idea of taking some parts of the holy mosque for settlers.
In recent months, Hamas has warned that any Israeli attempt to seize al-Aqsa Mosque will have “damaging consequences” for the occupying regime.
Hardline Israeli legislators and extremist settlers regularly storm the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied city, a provocative move that infuriates Palestinians. Such mass settler break-ins almost always take place under the protection and support of Israeli military forces.
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Jewish visitation of al-Aqsa is permitted, but according to an agreement signed between Israel and the Jordanian government in the wake of Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem al-Quds in 1967, non-Muslim worship at the compound is prohibited.
Back in May last year, frequent acts of violence against Palestinian worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque led to an 11-day war with Palestinian resistance groups in the besieged Gaza Strip, during which the Israeli regime killed at least 260 Palestinians, including 66 children.