Illegal Israeli settlers stormed, on Wednesday, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem while occupation police provided security, according to local sources.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, at least 108 settlers entered the Muslim holy site in the morning, while 53 were documented entering the compound in the afternoon.
Reports said that under the protection of Israeli police forces, the illegal colonists were granted access to the site through the Mughrabi Gate and proceeded to tour the site and perform Talmudic rituals.
Meanwhile, it was added that Israeli Intelligence officers removed the security guard assigned by the Islamic Endowments Department and stormed the Bab al-Rahma chapel.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, “During the 1967 War, Israeli occupied the West Bank, including Eat Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Sinai Penninsula and the Gaza Strip. Immediately after the 1967 War the Government of Israel unilaterally annexed about 70,500 dunams of the Jordanian Jerusalem and West Bank land to the municipal boundaries of West Jerusalem. In addition to the areas of Jerusalem that had previously been controlled by Jordan (approximately 6,500 dunams), the annexed lands included as additional 64,000 dunams, most of which belonged to 28 Palestinian villages in the West Bank; the remaining annexed lands were within the municipal boundaries of Bethlehem and Beit Jala. With this annexation, the total area of Jerusalem tripled, making Jerusalem Israel’s largest city, in both territory and population. The annexed territory is known today as “East Jerusalem”.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states;
“The Occupying Power [Israel] shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies [Palestine].”
