Israeli forces fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at Palestinian worshippers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) on March 16, Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, director-general of Muslim endowments and Al-Aqsa affairs in Al-Quds, said. “The Israeli forces fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at the worshippers and surrounded a handful of them in Al-Qibali Mosque inside the compound,” he said. According to al-Khatib, since the early morning, Israeli forces closed several gates of the holy site and denied entry to more than 500 religious students.
Israeli authorities on March 11 closed a number of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound gates and prevented Palestinian worshippers under the age of 50 from entering. The move came as several Jewish extremist groups urged followers to storm the holy site, he said. According to al-Khatib, the Israeli police also imposed restrictions on the entry of women to the holy compound.