BICOM

Israeli police arrested 19 Palestinian worshippers last night after clashes on the Temple Mount.

A number of Palestinians were injured after Israeli police said the worshippers tried to force their way into an area of the Temple Mount that has been closed for years.

The clashes took place around the Bab al-Rahma – a large structure inside the Golden Gate that Israeli police closed off in 2003. Israeli authorities at the time said that the Islamic heritage association, which operated there, was associated with Hamas, prompting its closure. In 2017, a court issued an order to keep the site closed until further notice.

Tuesday’s arrests follows a similar incident on Monday in which dozens of Palestinian worshippers and officials from the Waqf religious council, which is in charge of Islamic religious sites, attempted to force their way into the area, sparking a confrontation with the police. Last week, Muslim worshippers entered the premises and prayed, prompting Israeli police to lock the gate with chains. Monday’s incident follows a call from East Jerusalem activists for Muslims to arrive at the area and protest against the closure of the site.

Following Monday’s clashes, the Palestinian Authority (PA) warned that Israel was “playing with fire”. The PA also accused Israel of “waging war on Islam” and called for the international community to intervene.

Jordan condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the Israeli closure. PA Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Sufian Qudah, demanded that Israel, as the occupying power, “act in accordance with international law and immediately reopen the gates, respect the sanctity of the holy place, stop hampering the entry of worshippers, withdraw its security forces from Al Aqsa Mosque and respect the feelings of Muslims”.

Last week, the Jordanian Government, which controls the Waqf, enlarged its religious council from 12 to 18 members. Ofer Zalzberg of Crisis Group says PA officials and religious leaders were installed in the body for the first time and it is understood representatives with close ties to the UAE and Turkey have also been included. Historically, the council been made up of individuals close to the Jordanian monarchy.