Press TV - More than a thousand Israeli settlershave stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Israeli-occupied Old City of East Jerusalem al-Quds amid escalation of violence by Israeli forces and settlers against the Palestinian people.
Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said hundreds of Israeli 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.
The settlers performed acts deemed provocative by Palestinians atthe mosque's courtyard in commemoration of the Jewish holiday of Tisha BAv.
Heavily armed Israeli police forces set up iron barriers on the doors and confiscated identity cards ofPalestinians before allowing them to enter the compound.
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Israeli settlers and military forces are seen at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem al-Quds on July 22, 2018. (Photo by Safa news agency)[/caption]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.
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 preventthe passing of the resolution, Trump threatenedreprisals 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 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 fivemillion registeredPalestinian refugees and their descendants.
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 had said that the US paidthe Palestinians hundreds of millions of dollars a year and yet gotno appreciation or respect.
