The Jerusalem Governorate on Monday warned of the dangers of exploiting Jewish holidays to impose new facts on the ground and storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid escalating Israeli occupation and settler violations in the city. This comes during the third day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The governorate said in a statement that Israeli occupation forces closed the Wadi Rababa intersection in the town of Silwan, causing severe traffic congestion in the surrounding streets.
The closure of the intersection coincided with students heading to school, and the forces also closed Bab Al-Asbat street towards Bab Al-Rahma and Bab Al-Magharba. There are expectations that the closures will extend to other roads leading to the Western Wall, with the aim of securing the movement of settlers participating in collective religious rituals. The governorate emphasized that these measures are not just temporary security arrangements, but rather a form of collective punishment for Jerusalemites and a systematic restriction on their movement.
The governorate stressed that the protection of settlers during their raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque cannot be separated from the occupation's procedures that accompany them in the Old City, Silwan, and the vicinity of the mosque. These procedures include closing streets, tightening military measures, and disrupting the movement of citizens, effectively turning Jerusalem into a city managed according to the needs of settlers and their rituals.
The Jerusalem Governorate emphasized that Al-Aqsa Mosque is not an open arena for Israeli occupation and settler experiments, nor a place to recreate alleged historical rituals at the expense of the mosque's Islamic identity. The governorate warned that continued practices threaten to explode the situation in Jerusalem and the entire region. The governorate called on the international community, Arab and Islamic countries, and relevant international institutions to assume their legal, political, and moral responsibilities.
The governorate urged the international community to move immediately to stop the raids and provocative rituals inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and pressure the occupation government to stop its measures targeting freedom of worship and the existing historical and legal status of the mosque. The governorate also called for documenting all violations witnessed in Jerusalem during the Hebrew holidays, including raids, prayers, and rituals, as well as closures and restrictions on Jerusalemites' movement.
These actions are part of a comprehensive policy aimed at changing the religious and cultural landscape of the city and imposing new facts by force. The Jerusalem Governorate emphasized that Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque will remain a symbol of Palestinian national and religious identity. The governorate stressed that Israeli occupation measures and settler practices, no matter how escalated, do not grant the occupation legitimacy over the mosque nor change its religious and legal status.
The governorate's warning comes amid escalating tensions in Jerusalem, with Israeli occupation forces and settlers continuing their violations in the city. The situation remains fragile, with the potential for further escalation and repercussions. The international community remains urged to intervene and address the situation.
Key points
- The Jerusalem Governorate warns of the dangers of exploiting Jewish holidays to impose new facts on the ground and storm Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Israeli occupation forces and settlers continue their violations in Jerusalem, amid escalating tensions in the city.
- The international community is urged to intervene and address the situation to prevent further escalation and repercussions.
