RIGHT-WING ISRAELIS FLY DRONES OVER AQSA COMPOUND

Jerussalem, 28 Rabi’ul Awwal 1436/19 Januari 2015 – Two right-wing Israelis on Sunday morning flew small drones over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the director of the compound said.

Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani said that two “settlers” were taking photos of the compound from a drone which they flew over the Marawani mosque and another over the Bab al-Rahmah cemetery.

The drones, he said, hovered above the compound for a few minutes, Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Kiswani added that one of the men claimed that he had permission from the Israeli police to take footage for a TV channel. He said that police denied giving anyone permission to film in the area.

Meanwhile, Islamic Awqaf Department in Jerusalem said in a statement dozens of Jewish settlers stormed the Aqsa Mosque, from Maghareba Gate, and toured its plazas. Thirty five agents of the Israeli Intelligence accompanied the extremist Jews, it added.

Israeli police barred Palestinian women and youths’ access into the Mosque and held their identity cards, the statement mentioned.

The Al-Aqsa compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque and is the third holiest site in Islam.

According to mainstream Jewish religious leaders, Jews are forbidden from entering for fear they would profane the “Holy of Holies,” or the inner sanctum of the Second Temple. However, some religious Zionist groups advocate the destruction of the mosques currently on the site in order to construct a third temple.

Al-Aqsa is located in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.(T/R05/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)