Israel arrests 7 suspects in violence at Jerusalem holy site

Israel’s chief rabbis, as well as the rabbi of the Western Wall, have issued directives urging people not to ascend the Temple Mount – arguing that Jews could inadvertently enter the holiest area of the once-standing temple, where it was forbidden to tread.

Palestinian protesters scuffled with Israeli security forces at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday.

Jews celebrate Sukkot, or the Fest of Tabernacles, to commemorate their journey through the Sinai wilderness to the Holy Land after their Exodus from Egyptian slavery.

Earlier this month over the Jewish New Year holiday, or Rosh Hashanah, police raided Al Aqsa compound to stop what they said were plans by Palestinian youths to disrupt visits to the site.

Omar Kiswani, who directs the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Mount, told the Guardian that Israel should not have the authority to restrict Muslims from entering the site.

The director of al-Aqsa Mosque, Omar Kiswani, spoke to Times of Israel, blaming Israeli police for the violence.

Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories – the West Bank and the Gaza strip – have always been criticized by human rights groups, and its construction of settlements in the West Bank is illegal under global law.

“Thousands of Muslims must go to the holy shrine and remain inside it to protect it”, Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset Haneen Al Zoabi wrote on her Facebook page, Gulf News reported.

Ten Palestinian have been injured in the clashes, a few of whom are in critical conditions, especially that the Israeli police prevented them from exiting the mosque to receive first aid, and did not let medical workers inside, according to Sky News.

Sunday’s incident occurred on the eve of the Jewish festival of Sukkoth and the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. But calls by a group of religious Jews to visit the site, coupled with periodic Israeli restrictions on Muslim visits, have inflamed tensions. Meanwhile, Al-Ghunaim showcased Kuwait’s continuous commitment to the Palestinian people, noting that recently his country donate a sum of United States dollars 15 million to UNRWA to help cover the educational expenses of Palestinian students at 685 schools. Israel accuses Abbas and his predecessor Yasser Arafat of rejecting far-reaching Israeli peace proposals and inciting further violence. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war, as their future capital.

Israel has also relaxed rules regarding the use of live fire by Israeli police and soldiers.

Israeli forces said they had arrested Majdi Galal Ezzkat Kowarik and Ahmed Azam Ata Abdat from Palestinian village of Awarta, near Nablus, in a joint operation.