The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Muhammad Hussein. (Photo: via WAFA)

Israeli Police Storm Al-Aqsa, Arrest Grand Mufti and Raid Mosque Offices

Israeli occupation forces arrested the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, after his Friday sermon at Al-Aqsa Mosque, condemning Israel’s starvation policy in Gaza.

Israeli occupation forces arrested the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, from inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem on Friday, according to the Islamic Endowments Department.

The Islamic Endowments Department stated that Israeli police arrested Sheikh Muhammad Hussein after he delivered the Friday sermon at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The official Palestinian News Agency WAFA quoted local sources as saying that the occupation forces stormed the audio control room in Al-Aqsa Mosque and arrested Sheikh Muhammad Hussein after he completed his sermon.

In the sermon, he strongly condemned the policy of starvation being used by the occupation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

According to the same sources cited by the agency, a special unit of the occupation police also raided the room of the head of the mosque guards and the office of the director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, at the same time as the arrest of the Mufti.

Israeli occupation forces also obstructed worshippers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers. 

A number of young men were arrested, and others were prevented from entering the mosque, according to WAFA.

The occupation forces continue to impose severe restrictions on the entry of worshippers to Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially on Fridays, and prevent thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank from reaching Jerusalem to pray at the mosque.

(PC, AJA, WAFA)