Palestine accuses Israel of planning to turn Al-Aqsa Mosque into Jewish synagogue

Palestine accuses Israel of planning to turn Al-Aqsa Mosque into Jewish synagogue
June 8, 2022, 9:03 pm

Israel on Tuesday (5 Apr) bans Palestinian males between the ages of 12 and 40 in the occupied West Bank from entering Masjid al-Aqsa for Friday prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (File photo: Pixabay)

The Anews reported, citing the Anadolu Agency, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has accused Israel of seeking to turn the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem into a Jewish synagogue.

Addressing a Palestinian event on the historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the West Bank city of Al-Bireh, Shtayyeh said 55 years of Israeli excavations in Jerusalem failed to find any trace of a Jewish temple.

He said Palestinians seek to preserve the status quo in Jerusalem that prevailed since the Ottoman rule of Palestine.

The Palestinian premier went on to thank "all those who helped the Palestinians," especially Jordan and Türkiye for their "collective responsibility" towards Jerusalem.

Palestine warns against allowing Israeli settlers to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

Source: anews

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