Local Editor

"Israeli" Occupation Forces detained 31 Palestinians in overnight raids in the occupied West Bank and occupied East al-Quds, a Palestinian source said Thursday, following fierce clashes between Palestinians and "Israeli" forces in and around the al-Aqsa mosque compound.

""Israeli" army forces detained four Palestinians after raiding their homes near Jenin," the source told Anadolu Agency on Thursday, while four more Palestinians were arrested in overnight raids in two villages in Nablus.

"Israeli" forces also detained four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem and three others near Ramallah city.

Meanwhile, 16 Palestinians were arrested in occupied East al-Quds following clashes with "Israel" forces late Wednesday, "Israeli" police said, bringing to 188 the number of Palestinians detained in the past two weeks.

On Wednesday, dozens of Palestinians suffered tear-gas inhalation and several others were injured by stun grenades, shrapnel and rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes in the al-Aqsa mosque compound area in occupied East al-Quds.

Palestinian Red Crescent official Amin Abu Ghazaleh said that Red Crescent ambulances moved nine injured to the al-Maqased Hospital where their injuries were reported as moderate.
Two were injured in the eye, and 32 with stun grenades, shrapnel and rubber-coated steel bullets in addition to many who suffered severe gas inhalation.

Occupied al-Quds governor Adnan Husseini said that it was the first time police had penetrated the al-Aqsa mosque.

"The situation is very difficult. We are standing outside the mosque [which is locked] while they are allowing tourists inside the compound. This is "Israeli" democracy!"

He said that during the clashes, a stun bomb had hit the mosque's electrical points, sparking a small fire which was quickly put out by those inside.

The director of the al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, said that ""Israeli" forces fired stun grenades and tear-gas bombs inside the mosque and that a fire erupted inside the muezzin's hall and cables and speakers were also burned and damaged."

Soldiers "deliberately" threw holy books on the floor, he added.

Amin Abu Ghazali of the Palestinian Red Crescent said 39 people were wounded, six of whom were in serious condition.

"Israeli" forces then detained Tareq al-Hashlamon, an employee of the Islamic endowment department, after assaulting him inside al-Aqsa, alongside at least eight other Palestinians.
The compound was later reopened to visitors with 108 "Israeli" settlers entering alongside 200 foreign tourists, police said.

"Israeli" forces have long restricted Palestinians' access to the al-Aqsa compound based on age and gender, but have further prevented Muslim worshipers from entering the mosque for more than a month while facilitating the entrance for Zionist extremists.

On Thursday, "Israel" closed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first time since it first occupied al-Quds in 1967.
For Muslims, al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site.

Clashes in al-Quds prompted a furious response from Jordan, which has custodial rights over Muslim holy sites in the city, with Amman recalling its ambassador to "Israel" "in protest at "Israel's" escalation" and moving to file a UN complaint.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said "Israel's" recent actions at the compound were "way beyond the limits."
"These violations are infuriating the emotions and the sensitivity of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world," he said ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians were injured by live bullets after "Israeli" forces opened fire on protesters at the northern entrance of al-Ram village south of Ramallah.
Clashes broke out after "Israeli" forces raided the village.

The soldiers retreated and redeployed at the northern entrance to the village, from where they fired live bullets and tear gas canisters and chased down Palestinians in military vehicles.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team