Wafa ,Jerusalem :
In spite of Palestinian, Arab and Islamic calls on Israel to reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for Muslim prayers, the third holiest site in Islam remained closed Saturday for the second day in a row.
Israel closed the gates to the mosque on Friday and banned the weekly Friday prayer following an attack outside the mosque compound by three
Palestinians against Israeli police that left the three Palestinians and two policemen dead.
Banning prayer in the mosque on a Friday, the Muslim holy day, was unprecedented since the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank in June 1967, according to reports.
Three Palestinians from Umm al-Fahm, a town inside Israel, attacked policemen outside the gates to the mosque killing two officers. Police chased the three inside the compound and shot them dead. The compound was then declared closed and prayer was banned.
Police also closed gates leading to the Old City of Jerusalem for most of Friday and banned traffic on roads leading to the Old City.
In spite of Palestinian, Arab and Islamic calls on Israel to reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for Muslim prayers, the third holiest site in Islam remained closed Saturday for the second day in a row.
Israel closed the gates to the mosque on Friday and banned the weekly Friday prayer following an attack outside the mosque compound by three
Palestinians against Israeli police that left the three Palestinians and two policemen dead.
Banning prayer in the mosque on a Friday, the Muslim holy day, was unprecedented since the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank in June 1967, according to reports.
Three Palestinians from Umm al-Fahm, a town inside Israel, attacked policemen outside the gates to the mosque killing two officers. Police chased the three inside the compound and shot them dead. The compound was then declared closed and prayer was banned.
Police also closed gates leading to the Old City of Jerusalem for most of Friday and banned traffic on roads leading to the Old City.
