PNA condemns Israeli police raid on al-Aqsa Mosque

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) condemned on Sunday the Israeli police forces raid on al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem.

"We condemn the Israeli occupation police raid on al-Aqsa Mosque and on the prayers," Nabil Abu Rdineh, spokesman of the PNA presidency, said in an official press statement.

"East Jerusalem and the Islamic and Christian holy places are red line and we won't keep silent before these assaults," said Abu Rdineh.

He added that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held intensive contacts with all parties in the world, including Jordan and Morocco, complaining about the endless Israeli attacks on al-Aqsa Mosque.

Palestinian sources said that the police clashed with the prayers at the mosque when they tried to get the prayers outside including women, adding that the Israeli police deployed dozens of police men outside the mosque.

The sources also said that the Israeli police forces arrested several prayers overnight inside the mosque, adding that the arrests of prayers came after they tried to prevent a group of Jewish settlers from entering into the mosque area.

Tension grew on Sunday after a group of Jewish settlers headed by the Israeli minister of agriculture Ori Ariel entered the yard of al-Aqsa Mosque.

Meanwhile, an Israeli police spokeswoman said in a press statement that according to the information the police received, dozens of Palestinian young men stayed inside al-Aqsa Mosque overnight.

She said the Palestinians stored stones and empty bottles and fireworks to prevent the police from closing the gate that leads to the mosque, adding that when the police came to close the gate, they threw stones at the police. Endit