Thousands Pray in Jerusalem at Al-Aqsa, Western Wall Hours After Rockets From Syria Strike Golan
The situation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound/Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem was tense but non-violent on Sunday despite threats of violence and a weekend that saw rockets fired from Syria at the Golan Heights.
Hundreds of Palestinians and Muslim worshippers barricaded themselves in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Saturday night and threatened to disrupt Jewish holiday prayer at the Western Wall located below the site and to prevent Jewish pilgrims from visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Some Muslim worshippers were prevented from entering the site on Sunday morning, but security officials did not storm the mosque as they did late last week, leading to violent scenes that went viral on social media.
On Sunday morning, about 15,000 Jewish worshippers gathered at the Western Wall for the priestly blessing prayer, which went off without violence. Jewish visitors also were allowed to visit the Temple Mount. They were confronted with some shouting by the Muslims at the site but as of midday no violence. Israel, as in previous years, likely will bar Jewish pilgrims to the site during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which comes out to Tuesday.
Meanwhile, six rockets were fired at the Golan Heights from Syria late on Saturday night and early Sunday. There were no reported injuries or damage. The Israel Defense Forces retaliated, striking a military compound belonging to the Syrian Army’s 4th Division, as well as radar sites and artillery sites used by the Syrian Army, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces. “The IDF considers the Syrian state responsible for everything that happens on its territory and will not allow attempts to violate Israel’s sovereignty,” The IDF said in its statement.
A funeral for the two sisters killed on Friday in a terrorist shooting attack near the settlement of Hamra in the Jordan Valley is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The dead sisters are identified as Maya Dee, 20, and Rina Dee, 15, of Efrat. Their mother, Lea, 48, remains in critical condition in a Jerusalem hospital. All three are dual British and Israeli citizens.
On Friday night, an Italian tourist was killed and seven other tourists from Italy and the United Kingdom were injured when an Israeli-Arab man from Kafr Qassem rammed into them in a car on a Tel Aviv sea-side promenade.
