Israeli security campaign targeting Al-Aqsa defenders

The Israeli occupation authorities have started a “silent security campaign” against Muslim worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, local sources have told Quds Press. They stressed that Jerusalem is currently experiencing the “most dangerous” moments of the decades-long Israeli occupation.

Israel’s prisons are now full of Palestinians from amongst those who used to stay and defend Al-Aqsa against daily desecrations by Israeli settlers and occupation forces. According to Quds Press, the occupation targets the families of the Palestinians who stay and defend the mosque, by imposing fines and doubling tax demands.

The sources pointed out that Israel prevents the renovation of any of Al-Aqsa’s ancillary buildings. The occupation authorities also expel active worshippers and prevents them and their family members from entering the Noble Sanctuary for months on end.

Another form of Israeli harassment of Palestinians who attend Al-Aqsa for prayers is the confiscation of identity cards. “They are trying to eradicate Palestinian Muslim presence in the mosque,” the sources told Quds Press.

Moreover, there appears to be some remarkable indifference to the plight of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the part of the Palestinian Authority. “The PA only dispatches employees and changes them from time to time,” the sources insisted. “They do nothing there.”