Monday, Jun 27, 2016

Ramallah: The Israeli regime has violated an agreement with the Waqf Department for Jerusalem and opened the Moroccan gate (Al Magarebah gate) to Israeli colonists who raided the holy shrine on Monday on the first day of a period that marks the last ten days of Ramadan.

The occupation forces violated an agreement with the Jordanian Waqf, which has administered the shrine since the 1967 Mideast War, to keep Al Magarebah gate closed and to not allow any incursions into the shrine during the last 10 days of Ramadan, dedicating this time for Muslim worship.

Shaikh Omar Al Kiswani, director of Al Aqsa Mosque, said that the Waqf Department had already asked the Israeli police to close Al Magarebah gate during the last ten days of Ramadan and to prevent incursions of Israeli colonists into Al Aqsa Mosque. Muslims particularly revere the final ten days of Ramadan since they see a sharp increase in visitors who perform I’tikaf (seclusion) and night prayers in Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

Huge umbrellas have been set up all around Al Aqsa Mosque, Al Qibli Mosque and Al Marwani Mosque to protect visitors from the sun amid preparations to commemorate the last ten days of Ramadan. An agreement was also reached with the Israelis.

“All of a sudden and on the first day of the ten nights of Ramadan, the occupation forces opened Al Magarebah gate, allowing 78 Israeli colonists to raid the holy shrine before the eyes of the Muslims praying in Al Aqsa Mosque,” said Azzam Al Khatib, who heads the Waqf Department.

“We were officially told by the Israeli police that Al Magarebah gate would not be opened for Israeli incursions and foreign tourism during the final ten nights of Ramadan.

“Israel broke a truce that has maintained calm since the beginning of Ramadan. It has become undoubtedly clear that Israel has violated every agreement under direct instructions from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who ordered the colonists to raid Al Aqsa Mosque during the first day of the last 10 nights of Ramadan,” said Al Khatib.

He said that the occupation forces forced the evacuation of all Muslims from the way of the Israeli colonists. “The occupation forces sealed Al Qibli Mosque with steel chains to prevent the Muslims inside the mosque from standing in the way of the colonists’ incursions and defending the holy shrine,” he said.

By Nasouh Nazzal Correspondent

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