Amid rising tensions over new metal detectors at one of Islam’s holiest sites, Israeli authorities on Wednesday closed the gates of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing Palestinians from entering the site, according to a Palestinian official.
“This evening, Israeli police officers closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque gates and prevented worshipers from entering,” Firas al-Dibs, a spokesman for the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, told Anadolu Agency.
“The police deployed dozens of Israeli officers at the gates, closed down the holy compound, and prevented Palestinians from praying at the mosque,” he said.
Al-Dibs added: “Israeli police beefed up security, deploying hundreds of troops at the entrances of Jerusalem’s Old City and barring Palestinians from entering.”
Hundreds of Palestinians were also barred from reaching their homes due to Israeli security measures, he said.
Separately, the religious endowments and Al-Aqsa affairs (run by the Jordanian government) has decided to close all the mosques in East Jerusalem on Friday and called for prayers in front of Al-Aqsa’s gates to protest the metal detectors deployed by Israeli police.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, decided to return early from a trip abroad due the volatile situation, according to a Palestinian official.
“President Mahmoud Abbas decided Wednesday to cut his trip abroad and return home due to the urgency of the situation in Jerusalem following Israeli measures at Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said from Beijing, where Abbas has been on an official visit.
“Abbas will convene an urgent meeting for the Palestinian leadership upon his arrival to discuss the events at the Muslim holy compound,” he said.
According to Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian president has been in touch with Arab and world leaders to prevent further escalation of the situation.
Netanyahu, security official consult
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the situation in a telephone call with Israeli security officials, according to his office.
“There was a telephone consultation in which security officials presented the situation and their opinions,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The office, however denied that Netanyahu is consulting in order to remove the metal detectors.
Israeli daily Yeditoth Ahronoth, meanwhile, said that Israel is in intensive talks with Jordan to end the crisis before Friday for fear of riots.
“Netanyahu's emissary, attorney Yizthak Molcho, and the head of the Shin Bet are in talks Jordanians, in which King Abdullah is also personally involved,” the newspaper said.
“Among other things, they are considering whether to perform a selective check by age or gender in order to soften the introduction of the new metal detectors,” it added.
The Israeli government's installation of metal detectors at the mosque's gates has led to a wave of anger among Palestinians, who called for their immediate removal.
Israel has defended the controversial detectors, claiming they are no different from security measures at other world holy sites.
The beefed-up security follows a shootout last Friday at the mosque’s compound which left five people dead.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam after the cities of Mecca and Medina.
