Palestinians reject new al-Aqsa security measures
- 7 years ago
Tensions remain high in Jerusalem after Israel replaced metal detectors at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City with CCTV cameras, hoping to calm days of bloodshed.
The detectors were installed after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14th, sparking the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years.
But Palestinians say the modified security measures are still unacceptable.
“In short, we will never accept the metal detectors and anything else of this sort, cameras or anything that might harm the al-Aqsa mosque and our religion, our ties to it and harm this pure holy place. We still hold our stand and we won’t let anyone touch a single piece of this pure place.” said Mazid Kaluti, a Palestinian in East Jerusalem.
The spike in tensions and the deaths in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis.
The detectors were installed after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14th, sparking the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years.
But Palestinians say the modified security measures are still unacceptable.
“In short, we will never accept the metal detectors and anything else of this sort, cameras or anything that might harm the al-Aqsa mosque and our religion, our ties to it and harm this pure holy place. We still hold our stand and we won’t let anyone touch a single piece of this pure place.” said Mazid Kaluti, a Palestinian in East Jerusalem.
The spike in tensions and the deaths in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis.