Hamas warns Israel against ongoing crimes

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine - (AA) - Palestinian group Hamas on Friday called its operations and resistance a response to Israeli violations.

"Continuance of systematic crimes in Jerusalem and the West Bank will explode the situation in the region in the face of the occupation and the settlers,” Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanoo said in a statement.

He went on to say that "our great Palestinian people will do what it requires to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque, will fail all plans aimed to divide it and judaize it, and will confront the crimes of the Zionist occupation".

On Friday, two settlers were injured when they were hit by a vehicle near Gush Etzion settlement in the south of the occupied West Bank, while the attacker was killed, according to Israeli media sources.

On Thursday, an Israeli police officer was stabbed in Jerusalem's old city. The Israeli police also opened fire on two Palestinian teenagers, killing one and injuring the other.

On Sunday, in the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the Israeli police allowed 1,336 settlers to break into the Al-Aqsa Mosque where clashes erupted between prayers and Israeli policemen.

Extremist Jewish groups asked Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow them to practice their Jewish prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque even during Muslims’ Eid.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report