Israeli Police Assault Guards, Women at Al-Aqsa Mosque
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Israeli Police on Wednesday assaulted two guards and several women at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem (the holy city of Al-Quds) with clubs, according to local sources.
Omar Keswani, director of al-Aqsa Mosque, said the police assaulted the guards and women while they were attempting to confront Jewish fanatics who broke into the Mosque to perform rituals there.
The guards were transferred to hospital for medical treatment, Palestine News and Info Agency, WAFA, reported.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered more stringent measures against Palestinians who throw stones to protest the illegal entry into al-Aqsa Mosque by Jewish extremists under the protection of Israeli police.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu stressed during a Wednesday meeting in his office that Israel is committed to maintaining the status quo at al-Aqsa Mosque, but he will not allow what he described as “rioters” to prevent Jews from visiting the site.
This came against the backdrop of a three-day round of violent clashes which took place at the Islamic site, prompted by calls from Jewish fanatics to organize large-scale Jewish visits there to mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah.
On Tuesday, Israeli police attempted to storm al-Qibili Mosque in the compound and damaged its historical doors while trying to detain Palestinian worshippers barricading themselves inside.
Israel has been enforcing a unilateral temporal division on the mosque during the past few weeks, a measure that was widely condemned and rejected, particularly by Jordan that is responsible for the protection of holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with a 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
