Israeli police injure 10, detain 3 at Al-Aqsa Mosque

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli police injured 10 worshippers and detained three others after storming Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque Friday morning, an official said.

The Israeli police forced their way into the mosque and shot rubber-coated metal bullets at the worshipers, the official with Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, an organization responsible for overseeing the city’s Islamic and Christian sites, told Anadolu Agency.

This is the third Friday in a row that Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacked worshippers after morning prayer.

Thousands of Palestinians perform morning prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, to affirm their devotion to it and their refusal to the Israeli incursions.

Israel had occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.

In a move never recognized by the international community, Israel annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as the self-proclaimed Jewish state’s “eternal and undivided” capital.

Sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews, Jerusalem is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which for Muslims represents the world's third holiest site. Jews refer to the area as the “Temple Mount,” claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times. The complex also includes Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world.