Thousands of Palestinians perform Eid prayers at al-Aqsa

Around 50 thousand Palestinians performed prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Jerusalem as Israeli security forces continue their crackdown on Jerusalem locals, according to AAAJ Arabic.

Israeli security forces arrested al-Aqsa mosque guard, Hamza Nimr, after he had a confrontation with an Israeli soldier and arrested 13 Jerusalem locals during dawn raids on their homes.

"The early morning arrests by the occupation on the first day of Eid are just a continuation of the policy of disturbing the lives and harassing of the people of Jerusalem," head of the Jerusalem Prisoners' Families Committee, Amjad Abu Asab, told AAAJ Arabic.

See Also: Photo gallery: Thousands of Palestinians perform Eid prayers at al-Aqsa

Israel forces have recently arrested around 160 Palestinians since clashes erupted last week at the al-Aqsa Mosque when Israeli police, over three consecutive days, raided the mosque.

Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam.

Muslims have been alarmed by an increase in visits by Jews to the site and fear rules governing the compound will be changed. Jews are allowed to visit but not to pray to avoid provoking tensions.

Restrictions lifted

Israeli police announced on Wednesday that access to the al-Aqsa mosque compound would be unrestricted for Muslims during the Eid al-Adha holiday on Thursday and closed to Jews and other visitors.

Palestinians from the West Bank, which was sealed for 36 hours earlier this week during the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, will also be permitted to visit the complex, Haaretz reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Tuesday that continued Israeli violations and attacks on the compound could cause the outbreak of a third intifada.

"What is happening is very serious," Abbas said, urging Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to put an end to these "practices", warning of "chaos" and the outbreak of an "intifada that we do not want."

"Israel is trying to divide the al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews, I mean worship places and time," he said.