Jerusalem: Scores of Israeli settlers on Wednesday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, guarded by the Israeli forces, the Palestinian News Agency, Wafa reported.
Over 126 settlers, including 55 students of Hebrew institutes and ten government officials, stormed Al-Aqsa in separate groups through the Mughrabi Gate and settlers toured the courtyards of Al-Aqsa mosque, and performed their rituals and prayers.
Usually, Israeli settlers storm the compound every morning and afternoon through the Mughrabi gate southwest of the mosque.
The Israeli police began allowing the settlers’ incursion in 2003, despite repeated condemnations from the Islamic endowment department.
Al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in the world for Muslims. Jews call the area the temple Mount and claim that it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move not recognized by the international community.
Israeli forces continue demolition of Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem
Israeli forces continued to bulldoze the Yusufiya cemetery, adjacent to the walls of the old city of occupied Jerusalem, for the tenth day in a row.
The head of the Islamic cemetery care committee in Jerusalem, Mustafa Abu Zahra, told the Palestinian News Agency, “The Israeli occupation municipality force continued on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, the Judaization work in the Yusufiya cemetery, and covered a large part of it with artificial grass to complete the process, with the aim of establishing a public park.”
The Israeli occupation municipality has been carrying out excavation and bulldozing work in the cemetery for several years, and in 2014 it prevented burial in its northern part and removed 20 graves containing the remains of Jordanian soldiers who were martyred in 1967.
Demolition of a house and two shops
On the other hand, on Wednesday the Israeli occupation authorities demolished a house in the town of Mukaber and two shops in the town of Hizma, occupied Jerusalem.
According to the media reports, reinforced forces of the occupation army, accompanied by their bulldozers, demolished a house in Al-Sala’a neighborhood (Deir Al-Sunna) in the town of Jabal Al-Mukabber, belonging to the family of Al-Maqdisi Muhammad Harroub, without informing the owners of the demolition order, knowing that they had obtained an order to stop the demolition.
It is reported that the house consists of one floor and includes two apartments, in which 8 people live, and has been built for more than 11 years.
In the town of Hizma, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, large forces of the occupation army, accompanied by bulldozers, surrounded the area near the Hizma military checkpoint and demolished two commercial stores on the pretext of non-licensing.