Israeli forces barricade Palestinians inside Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israeli occupation forces have blockaded a large number of Palestinian worshipers inside al-Aqsa mosque from the early morning, sources have said.

According to the sources, the Israeli forces shot tear gas inside the mosque in response to them having spent the previous night inside the mosque. A number of those blockaded were reported to have fainted.

Witnesses said that the Israeli forces had imposed a strict siege around the mosque in order to undermine Palestinian plans to prevent Israeli settlers from desecrating the third holiest Islamic site.

A number of Israeli organisations had called for Israeli settlers to break into the yards of the al-Aqsa mosque to mark the anniversary of the Jewish new year on Wednesday.

One of the worshipers inside the mosque told al-Jazeera that the siege was being imposed by a heavy number of Israeli forces.

Meanwhile, the Israeli forces released Sheikh Raed Salah after one day of detention. He was detained on Tuesday when he was heading to hold a press conference inside al-Aqsa mosque.

Sources said that Salah had initially refused the Israeli conditions for his release. The Israeli Magistrate Court released him on bail of NIS 50,000 (£9,000), in addition to conditions which would keep him 30Km away from Jerusalem for six months.

The Israeli court said that Sheikh Salah was detained on charges of inciting violence. Israeli investigators asked him about remarks he had made during the last Friday prayer.

Salah’s lawyer, Khalid Zabarqeh, said, “They asked him why he had said that General Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi would burn Egypt in the same way as the Israeli’s had burnt al-Aqsa mosque in 1969?”