Israeli occupation forces on Sunday expelled employees of the Islamic Waqf in occupied Jerusalem, banning them from entering their place of work at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Local sources said that the Israeli police had removed al-Aqsa Mosque guard Mehdi al-Abbasi, in addition to reconstruction workers Raed Zaghir and Hossam Sidr, from the mosque for a week. In addition, they were given an appointment for questioning next week to consider the length of their ban from the mosque.

In the same context, Israeli settlers this morning stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa mosque, under heavy protection by soldiers,  and performed rituals and prayers prayers inside the mosque.

The Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Mohammed Hussein, said that the occupation authorities are exploiting religious events and Jewish holidays to intensify their incursions into occupied Jerusalem in general, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular.