Israeli court bars 16 Palestinians from Al-Aqsa

An Israeli court on Tuesday released 11 detained Palestinians but forbade them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli court bars 16 Palestinians from Al-Aqsa
An Israeli court on Tuesday released 11 detained Palestinians but forbade them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque for periods ranging from 15 to 90 days each, according to a Palestinian NGO devoted to prisoners' rights. The Palestinians were released on bail ranging from 1000 to 5000 Israeli shekels (roughly $280 to $1400).

In a Tuesday statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said the court had set harsh release conditions on the Palestinians, who, it added, had been recently arrested near the Al-Aqsa mosque complex.

Within the past 48 hours, meanwhile, another Israeli court ordered the release of three Palestinians, yet ordered them not to approach the Al-Aqsa complex or the Old City of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) for a 15-day period, according to Palestinian rights lawyer Mofid al-Haj.

The three Palestinians were arrested in the early hours of Sunday as they prepared to perform dawn prayers inside Al-Aqsa, according to a statement issued by the Al-Quds organization, an NGO devoted to Palestinian rights.

According to a recent report by the Prisoners Center for Studies and Research, another Palestinian NGO, there are roughly 5000 Palestinians languishing in Israeli jails.

Israeli authorities routinely ban Palestinians from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque – especially those who actively oppose frequent break-ins by Jewish settlers and security forces into the mosque compound.

Tension has been high in Al-Quds over recent threats by extremist Jewish groups, which have called on supporters to force their way into the mosque compound during the current Jewish Passover holiday (April 14 to 22).

Last week, at least 24 Palestinians were arrested during clashes with Israeli security forces outside the gates of the mosque compound. 

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times. Israel occupied Al-Quds during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state. Palestinians want Al-Quds for the capital of their future state.
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