PA condemns “dangerous escalations” at Al-Aqsa Mosque allegedly caused by Israel forces and “herds of settlers continuing to desecrate the sanctity of the mosque”

Headline: "Three Martyrs in Salfit, Hebron, and Gaza; The occupation closes the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and invades the Dome of the Rock

• The [PA] president is in intensive contact with all parties in order to pressure the occupation government to stop the dangerous escalation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque
• The [PA] Presidential Office condemns the dangerous Israeli escalation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and warns against its consequences
• The [Jordanian] Waqf: The fire at the occupation police station at the Al-Aqsa Mosque is initiated and planned
• Jordan: The occupation is attempting to ignite the religious conflict"

"Three young people died as Martyrs (Shahids) yesterday [March 12, 2019] in Salfit, Hebron, and Gaza… and the occupation forces shot and wounded dozens to various degrees, which escalated their attacks against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and closed it to worshippers (Israel closed it after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli police post; see note below –Ed.). The [PA] Presidential Office condemned this, and warned against the dangerous consequences of this aggressive escalation against civilians and worshippers within the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the attacks against women by occupation soldiers within the Dome of the Rock. The Presidential Office emphasized that [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas is in intensive contact with all relevant parties, and particularly sister Jordan, in order to pressure the occupation government to stop this dangerous escalation…

The Presidential Office called on the international community to urgently intervene in order to prevent the escalation at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is being caused as a result of the occupation forces and herds of settlers continuing to desecrate the sanctity of the mosque and provoking the Muslims’ sensibilities…

The latest example of this was one of the occupation soldiers entering the mosque with his shoes on, with a bottle of wine, which constitutes a gross violation of the sanctity of the mosque (refers to Israeli policemen checking a compound near the Gate of Mercy that was entered illegally, there was no evidence of him carrying wine with him; see note below –Ed.).

The Presidential Office blessed the resolve of the members of our people that is carrying out Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic) in Jerusalem and at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque…

The [Jordanian] Waqf emphasized that the fire at the occupation police station at the Al-Aqsa Mosque is initiated and planned, and that it was a deliberate escalation that was planned by the police (sic., the fire was caused by a Molotov cocktail thrown at the police post)."

Pictures accompanying the article show three Palestinians allegedly killed in confrontations with Israeli forces, and a Palestinian woman being held down by Israeli forces for reasons that cannot be determined from the picture.

A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Israeli police post on the Temple Mount on March 12, 2019, causing a fire that damaged the building and setting a police vehicle on fire. Following this the police closed the Temple Mount to visitors, removing those already there. Police reported that in a search carried out after the Temple Mount was closed they found incendiary materials, firecrackers, and Molotov cocktails.

A video was posted on the official Fatah Facebook page on March 9, 2019, showing an Israeli policeman entering a compound near the Gate of Mercy on the Temple Mount – which was reopened by the Jordanian Waqf the previous month in violation of an Israeli court order – and walking around on Muslim prayer rugs with his shoes on. When the person filming him rebukes him, the officer responds that he needs to conduct a check and can do as he wishes.