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UAE and Jordan have called for immediate re-opening of Al Aqsa Mosque in Israel for worshipers. Foreign Ministers of both the countries during a teleconference stressed, Israel must respect the status quo of the holy places there.
Al Aqsa Mosque is one of the holy sites for Muslims located in the old city of Jerusalem. It is revered both by the Muslims and the Jews. Israel and Palestinians are close to a showdown over Tel Aviv’s decision to install metal detectors at the entrance of the Mosque. Israel’s move follows a shooting incident at the site last week, killing five people including two Israeli police officials .
Three Palestinians died in clashes in Jerusalem and three Israelis were killed in a stabbing attack at a West Bank settlement as tensions gave way to violence over the Holy Land’s most contested shrine, reports NBC news.
A Palestinian sneaked into a home in the Israeli settlement of Halamish in the West Bank after nightfall on Friday and stabbed-to-death three Israelis, the military said. The three Palestinians died earlier Friday during confrontations with Israeli security forces.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expresses his deep sorrow over the murder of three family members in Halamish last night,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Saturday. “It is an act of terror perpetrated by a human animal, infused with abhorrent hatred.The security forces are doing all they can to maintain security, and will take all necessary measures to do so.”
The violence came after Israeli officials banned men under the age of 50 from entering Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. The military said it had imposed the ban for security reasons after Palestinians were angered by the introduction of metal detectors at the shrine, with some calling for a “day of rage.”