(MENAFN) The Palestinian Authority (PA) issued a warning on Sunday, stating that Israeli provocations would turn the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem into a "battlefield." The warning came as violence escalated across the Palestinian territories after Israeli police forcibly removed worshippers from inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. The Israeli raids on the mosque triggered rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, with Israel retaliating with air and artillery shelling.
According to a statement by PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the daily attacks against holy sites and worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan are condemned and unacceptable actions that will inflame the region and drag it into the abyss. The spokesman held Israel fully responsible for any potential deterioration of the situation in the occupied territories.
The Palestinian Authority stressed that the Israeli occupation is trying to challenge the Palestinian people's will, but this will not discourage them. The Palestinian people will remain steadfast, defending their land and sanctities, whatever the price. Jerusalem, with its holy sites, is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine, and all Israeli measures and US backing will not achieve security and stability, according to Abu Rudeineh.
On Sunday, more than 900 Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa complex in East Jerusalem amid tight Israeli security measures, according to the Jordanian-run Jerusalem Waqf Department. For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.
The conflict over the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex is rooted in the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Israel annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community. The tension between Israelis and Palestinians has been ongoing, with disagreements over issues such as land ownership, sovereignty, and religious rights. The recent escalation in violence has raised concerns about the potential for further conflict and the need for a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict.
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