Palestine slams Israel ‘aggression’ on al-Aqsa

Outgoing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned on Sunday the “aggression” committed by the Israeli army on Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound.
The Arab leader – who last month announced his resignation as Palestinian Liberation Organization chief – said in a statement that he “strongly condemned the aggression of the Israeli storming of al-Aqsa this morning with troops and occupation police.”
Meanwhile, Jordan, which has custodian rights over Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also condemned the assault on the flashpoint holy site.
“The Jordanian government condemns the assault carried out by special forces of the Israeli occupation army against the Al-Aqsa mosque compound,” Information Minister Mohammed Momani said.
He accused Israel of “provocations” and “attempts to change the status quo” at one of the most sensitive holy sites in the Middle East.
Jordan was not the only Arab country to slam Israel’s assault as Egypt, the only other Arab country to have signed a peace treaty with the Jewish state, also condemned Israeli actions at the compound, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.
The Egyptian foreign ministry condemned the use of tear gas and sound bombs as an “unacceptable escalation against Muslim holy places in the occupied Palestinian territories”.
Under the current status quo, Jews are permitted to visit the esplanade but not to pray there for fear it would cause friction with Muslim worshippers.
Earlier on Sunday, Muslim witnesses said Israeli police entered the mosque and caused damage to prayer mats.
Israeli police said only that they closed the doors to the mosque to lock in rioters throwing stones, fireworks and other objects.
They said clashes continued outside the compound in the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City, where they responded with tear gas and stun grenades.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said 20 people required hospital treatment.
The mosque compound is the site of frequent clashes. In late July, Israeli police entered Al-Aqsa as they clashed with Muslims angered by Jews’ access to the compound on an annual day of Jewish mourning.
Source: Alarabiya