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Israeli escalation in east Jerusalem a declaration of war: Hamas

Xinhua, September 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Gaza ruling Islamic Hamas movement on Tuesday said the ongoing Israeli measures and escalation in east Jerusalem al-Aqsa Mosque "is a declaration of war.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement "the international community must intervene to stop the Israeli crime before the entire situation blows us."

"The Palestinian people will never let this criminal Israeli scheme to pass," Abu Zuhri said, referring to a third consecutive day of tension between Israel and the Palestinians in the old city of Jerusalem.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said that fierce confrontations resumed in the city and at the compound of al-Aqsa Mosque between dozens of Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police forces.

They said that a number of worshippers were injured when the police fired tear gas canisters, percussion bombs and rubber bullets during Israeli police forces attempts to get the worshippers out of the mosque area.

The police said it wants to evacuate the mosque area from Palestinian worshippers to allow Jewish prayers to enter for prayers to mark the Jewish holiday of the New Year.

The witnesses said during the clashes, the ancient doors that lead to the mosque and the windows were damaged while parts of the mosque's carpets were burned.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the parliament of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in exile, condemned in a press statement the Israeli escalation and the growing violence in Jerusalem.

"These measures and this barbarian Israeli escalation in Jerusalem can only be stopped when new measures and decisions are taken by the Palestinians, the Arabs and the Muslims to protect al-Aqsa Mosque," said the PNC statement.

The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their Palestinian state that to be established on the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967. However, the international community doesn't recognize the city as the capital of the state of Israel. Endit