3 Palestinians, 2 Israelis Killed in Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque Closed, as a Collective Punishment, July 16, 2017

3 Palestinians, 2 Israelis Killed in Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque Closed, as a Collective Punishment

July 16, 2017

Editor's Note:

The following news stories are just examples of the Israeli occupation government violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis. This cannot continue without the full financial and media support from Zionists as well as financial and military support from the US-EU governments, which have been active participant in the persecution and subjugation of the Palestinian people.

The Israeli occupation government has received more than $3.8 billion annually from the US successive administrations, Democrat and Republican alike, to enable it to continue the subjugation and persecution of the Palestinian people. The Obama administration made sure that the US support for the Israeli occupation government will continue by obligating its successors to give the racist, apartheid, Zionist state $38 billion in the next ten years.


Al-Aqsa Mosque Sanctuary Compound in Jerusalem	Palestinian Muslim worshippers performing prayers in a street after Israeli soldiers prevented them from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, July 16, 2017


Israeli occupation soldiers and police at one of the entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, July 16, 2017

Israeli Occupation Government Closes Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as a Collective Punishment

July 16, 2017, OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC) + -

On Sunday morning, the Israeli occupation government (IOG) installed electronic gates at the entrances of al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem after the Israeli occupation municipality put its hands on the courtyards of the Mosque by force, trying to hide the destruction and damage caused by the Israeli soldiers.

Meanwhile, senior Israeli occupation military and intelligence officers roamed the plazas of the holy Islamic site.

Media sources said the IOG began installing electronic gates at the entrances of al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday morning, in order to tighten search and inspection procedures of all Palestinians wishing to enter the Mosque.

The sources reported that the municipality sent seven street cleaning vehicles and a big number of Jewish workers to clean the courtyards, which is happening for the first time.

The sources added that the Jewish cleaners are working to remove ruins and damage resulting from Israeli soldiers’ inspections, as well as to remove garbage, and the remains of food of soldiers in front of the Qibli Mosque in the holy compound. In the same context, sources said the IOA took over the keys of the Asbat Gate to facilitate entry of its cars into the courtyards of al-Aqsa.

The sources highlighted that the keys of the internal and external gates of al-Aqsa were seized by the IOG, which refuses to return them to the Jordanian Awqaf (endowments).

The sources also reported that senior Israeli occupation officers are still roaming al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards, as dozens of officers of the so-called border police are still deployed in those courtyards.

On Sunday morning, the Israeli occupation forces prevented al-Aqsa employees from entering the Mosque and carrying out their work amidst a tight military siege imposed on al-Aqsa and the Old City for the third day in a row.

The PIC reporter said that the Israeli intelligence contacted a number of the Mosque’s guards last night, asking them not to reach or enter it.

The Israeli occupation forces arrested last night Gadu Ghoul, an employee at the fire department at al-Aqsa, at the Mazmouria military checkpoint in occupied Jerusalem.

The PIC reporter said dozens of Jerusalemites performed the dawn prayer at the nearest point to al-Aqsa Mosque and they hope they would be allowed to enter al-Aqsa Mosque to offer the noon prayer, after they were prevented from entering the Mosque since Friday morning as part of a punitive action following the shooting attack near al-Aqsa.

The IOG announced last night its intention to open the gates of al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, and allow Israeli settlers to storm the compound gradually starting from Sunday noon. The IOG decision includes the installation of electronic gates in addition to installing surveillance cameras at the courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque.

The families and tribes of Occupied Jerusalem organized on Saturday night a protest from their neighborhoods, villages and towns towards al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the evening prayer at the blessed Mosque, and to call for lifting the siege on it.

The occupation forces intercepted them at the streets and roads leading to the Mosque, while dozens of them managed to access the Asbat Gate area, where violent clashes and confrontations erupted, as protesters chanted for Al-Aqsa.

At the same time, violent clashes erupted at the neighborhood of Bab Hitta, which is adjacent to al-Aqsa Mosque, at the Maghrib prayer, when the occupation forces blocked the prayer of Palestinian citizens in front of the Hitta Gate.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces closed the southern bus station this morning at Al-Masarara neighborhood in the holy city, which is opposite to the Jerusalem wall from Al-Amud Gate side.

The PIC reporter pointed out that tension is still running high in central Occupied Jerusalem, especially in the Old City and the surrounding areas, amid widespread deployment of occupation forces and vehicles.

Sheikh Ikrima Sabri condemns the Israeli closure of the Aqsa Mosque before Muslim worshipers

July 16, 2017, OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC) + -

Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, head of the Higher Islamic Commission in Occupied Jerusalem, has condemned the closure of the Aqsa Mosque before Muslim worshipers as “a dangerous precedent,” and expressed rejection of Israel’s measures at the Islamic holy site.

“We strongly reject the provocative Israeli measures [at the Aqsa Mosque] and confirm our right to worship and the need to spare the Aqsa Mosque any tension,” Sheikh Sabri said in press remarks to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) on Friday.

He stressed that the holding of Friday’s khutba (sermon) and prayer at al-Asbat Gate area in the Old City did not mean that the Muslims conceded their right to the Aqsa Mosque.

“We had to perform the Friday prayer at al-Asbat Gate area after we repeatedly tried to enter the Aqsa Mosque, but the occupation authorities prevented us,” the Jerusalemite religious figure said.

“The Aqsa Mosque belongs solely to the Muslims and we can never cede a single iota of its soil,” he underlined. Keywords : Aqsa Mosque

Israeli Occupation Government Police Releases The Mufti Of Jerusalem, Aqsa Remains Closed

July 15, 2017 2:12 AM IMEMC News

The Israeli occupation government police released, Friday, the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, who was abducted earlier following the fatal shooting in Jerusalem that led to the death of three Palestinians and two Israeli officers. The Police also abducted 58 employees of the Waqf and Endowment Department.

The Mufti was attacked and taken prisoner by the soldiers and officers after he led Friday prayers in front of the Aqsa Mosque gates, after Israel decided to shut it down following the shooting.

He was released after being ordered to pay a 10.000 Israeli Shekels bail, after several hours of detention and interrogation.

The Waqf Department said that the soldiers also assaulted and abducted 58 of its employees following the shooting which took place in the courtyards of the Mosque.

The police interrogated the employees for several hours, and released 53 of them, while three employees, identified as Ayman al-Khailidi, Majed Tamimi and Tariq Sandouqa, were remanded for further interrogation until this coming Monday.

On Friday evening, the Israeli police detained Ahmad Jabarin, the father of Mohammad, after the police and soldiers stormed and ransacked the homes of the thee slain Palestinians.

In addition, undercover Israeli officers caused excessive damage to doors and bathrooms in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and assaulted many worships before forcing them away from the holy site.

In related news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that the Al-Aqsa Mosque will remain closed until Sunday.

The decision came during a meeting held by Netanyahu with Israel’s Internal Security Minister, the Police Commissioner, and other military and police officials, in order to discuss the rising tension.

On his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, denounced the shooting attack in Al-Aqsa courtyard, and affirmed his rejection and condemnation to any sort of violence, committed by any individual or party, especially in holy sites.

Abbas also called on Netanyahu to reconsider the decision to close Al-Aqsa, and warned that any move that impacts holy and historic sites could drag the region into an endless cycle of escalation and violence.

Netanyahu told Abbas that the closure is temporary, and that there will be no changes on the current status quo of the holy sites.

The Palestinian Authority also contacted officials in Jordan, asking them to pressure Israel into reopening the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The closure this Friday, prevented prayers in the mosque for the first time in fifty years.

Jordan, the custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, contacted Israel and urged the immediate reopening of the holy site.

Jordanian government demands the Israeli occupation government to immediately reopen the Aqsa Mosque compound before Muslim worshipers

AMMAN, (PIC) + -

The Jordanian government has demanded the Israeli occupation government to immediately reopen the Aqsa Mosque compound before Muslim worshipers and not take steps that could change the status quo at the Islamic holy site.

In a statement issued Friday afternoon, Jordanian government spokesman Mohamed al-Momani said his government “opposes any attack against the Muslims’ right to perform their religious rituals in their holy places freely and without any obstacles.”

Momani expressed his government’s condemnation of the development that happened on Friday morning at the Aqsa Mosque and demanded an immediate and comprehensive investigation into it.

He also said Jordan exerted intense pressure to have the Mosque reopened immediately, affirming that "Jordan would continue to utilize all diplomatic, legal and political tools in its hands to block any attempt to change the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem."

In a related context, the Israeli occupation government rejected the Jordanian request to reopen the Mosque immediately, and said it would lift its siege on the holy site and the area around it gradually as of Sunday.

Three Palestinian young men, two Israeli policemen killed in a shootout

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC) + -

Israeli occupation government police forces continued on Saturday to close occupied Jerusalem’s Old City for the second consecutive day following Friday’s shooting in al-Aqsa.

The Israeli border guards and police forces have intensified their presence throughout the city since the morning hours.

All vehicles’ access into the Old City is also banned except of those living in it, while no one has been able to enter into al-Aqsa Mosque since the incident including its guards and employees.

Israeli police declared that the military restrictions will continue pending investigation.

Earlier Friday, three Palestinian young men were killed in a shootout with Israeli police officers at the Mosque. Two Israeli police officers were pronounced dead.

In the wake of the anti-occupation shooting, Israeli authorities banned Friday prayer at al-Aqsa and imposed a complete closure on the Old City.

Three Palestinians, Two Israeli Officers, Killed In Armed Clashes In Jerusalem

July 14, 2017 2:30 PM IMEMC News

Israeli sources said two Israeli police officers, who were wounded earlier Friday while exchanging fire with three Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, died from their wounds. During the gun clashes, Israeli officers killed the three Palestinians.

The two Israeli officers, who are Arab citizens of Israel identified as Advanced Staff Sgt. Maj. Hayil Stawi,30, from Maghar town, and Advanced Staff Sgt. Maj. Kamil Shnan, 22, from Hurfeish, suffered serious injuries, and died from their wounds later, while one officer suffered a mild-to-moderate injury, while exchanging fire with the three Palestinians.

It is worth mentioning that the Israeli police also abducted the general mufti of Jerusalem, the Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, after preventing him from entering the mosque, and after assaulting him near the Tribes Gate.

The soldiers also invaded Bab Hatta neighborhood, next to Al-Aqsa, and attacked many Palestinians, leading to clashes.

First Published on: Jul 14, 2017 @ 11:04 – Three Palestinians, Two Israeli Officers Injured, In Armed Clashes In Al-Aqsa Mosque Courtyards

Israeli police officers and soldiers shot and killed, on Friday morning, three young Palestinian men, who opened fire on officers near the “Tribes Gate,” leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem, and fled towards the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, where they exchanged fire with soldiers, wounding three, before they were killed.

Update: The three Palestinians were later identified as Mohammad Ahmad Mohammad Jabarin, 29, Mohammad Hamed Abdul-Latif Jabarin, 19, and Mohammad Ahmad Mifdil Jabarin, 19.

Following the fatal incidents, the soldiers completely sealed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and canceled Friday prayers, before preventing all Muslim worshipers from entering or leaving the mosque courtyards.

Eyewitnesses said the three Palestinians were riding a motorcycle, before exchanging fire with the officers near the Lions Gate, and then continued towards the Dome of the Rock in Al-Aqsa compound where they exchanged fire with the officers, for the second time, before they were killed.

Israeli daily Haaretz said three officers were hurt in the shooting; two of them suffered serious wounds and one suffered a mild-to-moderate injury.

Haaretz quoted the Israeli police stating that the three Palestinians arrived at one of Al-Aqsa gates, and noticed police and military presence, before they opened fire on them and escaped.

It stated that the police pursued the three, and killed them, and added that the officers found two rifles and a pistol on the bodies of the three Palestinians.

After the shooting, the police closed the entire compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and initiated extensive searches in the area “to ensure no weapons are in it.”

The two Israeli officers who were killed

Although no faction has claimed responsibility for the shooting, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, Sami Abu Zohri, said the incident is a natural reaction and outcome of “Israel’s ongoing terror, and desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Is worth mentioning that the soldiers prevented the Mufti of Jerusalem, the Khatib of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and several other religious leaders, including the head of the Jerusalem Waqf and Endowment Department, from entering the mosque or its compound.

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