Jerusalem: analyst warns of area around Al-Aqsa Mosque turning into army base

A Palestinian political analyst and specialist in Jerusalem affairs, Jamal Amro, warned on Tuesday of the area around Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city being turned into an army base during Jewish holidays, Shehab news agency has reported. Amro made his observation following the Israeli cabinet’s decision to raise the security level across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem during the upcoming holiday season.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Cabinet ministers approved the operational deployment of all security services ahead of the holidays,” said Netanyahu’s office.

According to Amro, the Israeli occupation has reinforced the deployment of its armed forces on all roads and alleyways “to secure the settlers’ desecration of Al Aqsa Mosque” during the Jewish holidays. Israel, he said, is thus facilitating the settlers’ desecration of the holy sites in total disregard of international conventions and Jordan’s official custodianship.

Deportation orders, he pointed out, have been issued against the Palestinian activists who stay inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to empty the Noble Sanctuary ahead of the settlers’ desecrations. He noted that the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic commissions, as well as NGOs, keep calling for international protection for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, “but their calls fall on deaf ears.”

READ: Israel raids Bab Al-Rahma prayer hall at Al-Aqsa Mosque