Israeli ‘provocative’ acts continue at Jerusalem shrine

AMMAN – Under the protection of Israeli security members, dozens of Jewish settlers on Wednesday entered Al Haram Al Sharif through Bab Al Magharbeh for the second day in a row, according to the Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Department in Jerusalem.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the awqaf officials also said that 90 Israeli soldiers stormed Al Aqsa Mosque through Bab Al Magharbeh in their military uniforms in a provocative manner for a “military guidance tour”.

Also on Wednesday, 27 Israeli extremists in addition to 97 female soldiers broke into Al Aqsa Mosque, the statement said.

Earlier this week, Jordan expressed its strong condemnation towards the Israeli occupation troops’ closure of Al Aqsa Mosque gates and preventing worshippers and awqaf administration officials from entering the mosque’s complex.

Jordan is officially the custodian of the Islamic holy places in East Jerusalem, where the awqaf staff are appointed by Amman. 

Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani warned against the Israeli escalation at Al Aqsa Mosque complex, saying that allowing Jewish extremists to enter Islam’s third holiest site under the protection of occupation forces would ignite religious extremism in the region.

Momani called on the international community to push for an end to provocative Israeli measures in the holy city.

Also on Wednesday, the Islamic Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites raised the alarm on various Israeli excavations directly under Al Aqsa Mosque, calling, in a statement carried by Petra, for immediate action by the international community to save the Muslim shrine.