Settlers banned from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for remainder of Ramadan
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The Israeli occupation has banned Israeli settlers and visitors from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque compound until the end of Ramadan in light of recent tensions over stormings of the holy site.
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Israeli police escort Jewish visitors marking the holiday of Passover to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, in the Old City of occupied Al-Quds, April 9, 2023 (AP)
Jewish visitors will be prohibited from entering the Al-Aqsa mosque compound until the very end of Ramadan effective Wednesday, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Tuesday after security consultations on the issue in light of confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces, as well as Israeli settlers, over storming carried out by the latter parties.
The Israeli occupation takes this decision habitually in order to limit violence as the holidays period approaches, Israeli media claimed, though the "violence" in question is committed by Israeli settlers and led to after incursions and desecration of the holy Muslim site by the IOF and the illegal settlers.
Israeli media noted that it was believed that the incumbent far-right government would change course and not impose the ban this year, but the current situation in occupied Palestine might have forced its hand.
Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon military correspondent Noam Amir said the office of the Security Minister issued a clarification saying that contrary to various reports regarding barring settlers from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque until the end of Ramadan, "there was a consensus among the various security authorities regarding the prohibition."
"The heads of the various security services, the chief of staff, the Shin Bet chief, and the police chief supported the position of Security Minister Yoav Gallant," he added.
Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the decision as a "grave mistake", saying it would not mitigate the existing tensions and may only lead to an escalation.
The unexpected decision comes after earlier reports said the Israeli occupation's security establishment is on high alert, deploying additional Iron Dome batteries out of fear of impending rocket and drone attacks on the occasion of Al-Quds Day, commemorated on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
In light of the ongoing tensions all over occupied Palestine and the region, especially due to last week's incidents when the Israeli occupation was bombed from Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, the batteries were deployed in various Israeli settlements over the weekend, Israeli Channel 12 News reported.
"Commando fighters were stationed in central Israel to bolster the Israeli police and embolden the sense of security in city centers based on the directions of the minister of security," Channel 12 added.
Israeli media explained that the IOF were on high alert out of precaution and in anticipation of aerial offensives, cyberattacks, and operations similar to the one thwarted in the morning.
This comes in light of continuous Israeli raids against Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the brutalization of Palestinians stationing themselves in the holy site.
The Israeli occupation forces on Sunday turned the courtyards of Al-Aqsa mosque into military barracks in a bid to provide protection for the illegal settlers storming the Muslim holy site on the fourth day of Passover.
The Islamic Endowments Department in Al-Quds said scores of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Groups from the Moroccan Gate, adding that they carried out provocative tours and performed some rites under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.
The IOF's provocations sent settlers into a frenzy, with Israeli media reporting that the current situation resembled the time leading up to the Seif Al-Quds battle, adding that "an incident in Al-Aqsa can also be dragged into a wide confrontation" this time.
The first round of aggression spurred up a week of Israeli violence and Palestinian confrontation that spread all over the occupied state in various forms, from rallies to resistance operations.
Moreover, the security concerns come as Israeli media said the occupation's strategic situation has worsened over the past several months.
