Jews plan massive raid on Al Haram Al Sharif

Ramallah: Jewish colonists have called for a massive raid on Al Haram Al Sharif on Sunday to ‘avenge’ the detention of an Israeli who provocatively performed religious rituals at the Muslim holy site.

Simmering tensions boiled over in September over the status of Al Haram Al Sharif in occupied Jerusalem, before spiralling into a series of violent attacks from October 1.

Palestinians accuse the Israeli regime of seeking to change the rules governing the site. Under a five-decade-old status quo agreement, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not perform religious rituals. Colonists however have raided the holy site several times over the past month and performed prayers, angering Palestinians who say Israel has plans to Judaise occupied east Jerusalem and Al Haram Al Sharif.

Three Jewish colonists raided Al Haram Al Sharif this week and one of them began praying. Israeli police who came to arrest them man were attacked by the colonists.

“The call to raid Al Haram Al Sharif demonstrates the Israeli regime is lying about upholding the status quo in the holy shrine,” Palestinian Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Shaikh Mohammad Hussain in a statement.

Mazen Abu Qalbain, an activist in occupied Jerusalem, said the calls to renew raids are political. “The Israeli regime does not have any intention to preserve the status quo,” he said.

He said that invading colonists have the full protection of Israeli occupation soldiers who escort them onto the premises.

“They have never been denied entry into the holy site and when they enter they make a lot of commotion by singing and dancing in order to intentionally provoke Muslims,” he said.