Firas al-Debs, head of the media bureau of the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem al-Quds, said a total of 284 settlers forced their way into the holy site through the Bab al-Magharibah under the tightprotection of several groups of Israeli soldiers and special police forces, Arabic-language Safa news agency reported.
Debs added that the settlers sought to perform acts deemed provocative by Palestinians in the mosque courtyard, but Muslim worshipers and mosque guards resisted them.
The Palestinian official went on to say that more Israeli settlers and extremists are expected to storm al-Aqsa Mosque tomorrow as they are currently commemorating the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, known as theFeast of Weeksin English.
The occupied Palestinian territories have witnessed new tensions ever since US President Donald Trump announced his decisionon December 6 last year to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israels capital and relocate the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
An Israeli soldier takes position as Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli forces during a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on May 18, 2018. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]The dramatic shift in Washingtons policy vis--vis the city triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Moroccoand other Muslim countries.
On December 21, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution that calls on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israeli capital.
In an attempt to avert the resolution, Trump had warned that were watching, threatening reprisals against countries that backed the measure, which had earlier faced a US veto at the UN Security Council.
Israel, however, rejected the world bodys resolution while thanking Trump for his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.
On January 18, the United States reneged on a pledge to contribute $45 million to theUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East(UNRWA), which supports more than 5million registeredPalestinian refugees and their descendants.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Palestinians throw stones towards Israeli forces during clashes after a protest marking the 70th anniversary of Nakba also known as Day of the Catastrophe in 1948 and against the US' relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the main entrance of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem on May 15, 2018. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]The announcement to cut aid to Palestinian refugees came after the US president made a threatto cut off aid to the UNs Palestinian refugee agency.
In a series oftweetson January 2, Trump said that the US paidthe Palestinians hundreds of millions of dollars a year and yet gets no appreciation or respect.
But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? he asked.
