Tal Aviv- Sunday’s attacks on Al-Aqsa mosque on the memorial of Tisha B’Av heightened the level of tension in Eastern Jerusalem. Muslim prayers tried to defy these assaults but the Israeli police arrested dozens of Muslims and Jews and wounded 15 Palestinians; three of them were transferred to hospitals.

“The assaults that occurred on Sunday were planned for since five days; they are assaults and not normal visits by settlers and foreign tourists as the occupation authorities are claiming,” said the head of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani.

Kiswani denounced these actions describing them as “dangerous” and held the occupation police responsible for any consequences.

Since the early morning, Israeli forces spread in Al-Aqsa to permit the entrance of settlers and foreign tourists. Up to 300 Jewish prayers kept arriving in groups until the afternoon. The police arrested seven Jews who performed the Jewish prayer there, which is forbidden, but lost control over many others. Then, Muslim prayers stood against them and subsequently many were arrested and wounded by the Israeli police for that.

Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed, in a statement, its determination to exert required efforts to call for an urgent Arab League meeting to discuss the escalating Israeli danger against the holy Al-Aqsa mosque and to take necessary stance regarding this issue.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is being occupied again repeating the events of 1967, added the statement, and this

requires, more than any time, a genuine Arab and Islamic awakening to protect the mosque.

Palestinian government warned that the consequences will not be favorable if these attacks continue.

Youssef Mahmoud, spokesperson for the Palestinian government, said, “The aggression on Al-Aqsa is an aggression on the Arab and Islamic nations; this will cause more tension not only in Palestine but in the whole region”.