Israel shuts al-Aqsa mosque, blocking worshippers

Israeli occupation forces have imposed a strict military siege on the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent female worshippers and men below fifty years of age from accessing the holy mosque, reported the Palestinian News and Information Agency "WAFA".
These Israeli measures come ahead of ultra rightist MK Moshe Feiglin's pre-planned storming into the holy mosque who said he wants to test occupation police readiness to ensure the so-called free access to the mosque to perform Talmudic rituals which coincide with the beginning of the Jewish holiday season.
WAFA added that Israeli occupation forces erected barricades and ran dismounted patrols throughout the streets and roads and prevented Palestinian citizens, especially women and men below fifty years old from entering the holy mosque to perform the Fajur prayers.
High tensions currently prevail at the gates of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque as settlers began storming into the holy mosque from Bab Al-Maghariba in small gangs escorted by special Israeli police units.
The Palestinian Islamic Endowments Department was making preparations to receive the Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque today who will perform Dhuhur prayers there accompanied with several VIPs, according to WAFA.