Israeli forces have banned a Palestinian female teacher and activist from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque for six months in the occupied Old City of East al-Quds amid escalation of violence by the Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians.
Hanadi al-Halawani, who oversees the Islamic sites at the sacred compound, was initially arrested at Bab al-Asbat near the Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli forces, the Palestinian Information Center reported Sunday.
Reacting to her detention, Halawani said, “Nothing is more upsetting than the occupation’s control over a sacred part of your land, ordering and choosing who can or cannot enter it,” adding, “Just like a thief who stay in your house against your will and then force you to leave it.”
Halawani has voluntarily remained at the Aqsa Mosque to watch over it in an effort to protect it against Israeli intents to Judaize the holy site.
She had also previously been banned from entering the mosque for an entire week.
In recent years, dozens of Palestinian worshipers, including senior clerics were among the Palestinians who were banned from entering al-Aqsa mosque compound in East al-Quds. Palestinians say the ban is a form of punishment by the Israeli authorities that is aimed at keeping them away from their holy site.
Palestinians have repeatedly warned of Israeli attempts to change the status quo of the al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in Islam.
It comes at a time of rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's intention to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
The Occupied Palestinian Territories have also witnessed tensions since US President Donald Trump announced his decision on December 6, 2017 to recognize al-Quds as Israel’s capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.
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