Jerusalem Waqf (Islamic endowments) Department, Sheikh Azzam Al-Khatib, said Sunday that Israeli occupation forces had seized the keys of the Al Haram Al Sharif (holy sanctuary) compound, continuing the closure of the complex and barring access to the mosque’s guards.

He told Petra’s reporter in Ramallah that despite the restrictions, Jerusalemites were able to perform the Al Fajr (dawn) prayers at the Lions’ Gate outside the mosque’s grounds.

“Israeli authorities had installed metal detectors at the entrances to the mosque, only allowing municipal workers to clean the compound for the first time, which sets a dangerous precedent”, he said.

Israel shut down the Haram Al Sharif, Islam’s third holiest shrine, after a shooting incident on Friday in which three armed men were killed and two Israeli soldiers were killed.

Source: Fana News