Israel attacks Al-Aqsa: Israeli forces fire at Palestinians near mosque

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest from Israel's violence against worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque and compound concludes for today.

Join us tomorrow for the latest updates from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

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Turkey's Erdogan says he condemns Israeli 'interventions' at Al-Aqsa mosque

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he had told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas that he condemned Israeli "interventions" on Palestinian worshippers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, vowing to "stand against" attempts to change its status.

Erdogan's comments come amid efforts by Turkey and Israel to normalise relations after years of animosity.

Friends of Al-Aqsa slams mosque storming as 'inhumane', calls for sanctions

UK-based NGO Friends of Al-Aqsa on Sunday condemned the recent stormings of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and urged action from the international community.

"The two brutal attacks on Masjid Al-Aqsa in the last 48 hours, including attacks on unarmed Palestinians worshippers and the storming of over 500 Israeli settlers, are inhumane. They are part of the ongoing illegal occupation and apartheid policies of the state of Israel," read a statement from FOA chair Ismail Patel.

"We call for sanctions to be imposed on Israel. We also request that individuals boycott all Israeli products and goods. NGOs and civil societies should lobby their respective governments to hold Israel to account."

More than 200 police, 500 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa, mosque director tells The New Arab

More than 200 Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday morning, Sheikh Omar Kiswani, director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, has told The New Arab.

Kiswani estimated that 545 settlers entered the compound, where they performed prayers for Passover.

"This was the first round of storming that settlers have been preparing for the Jewish Passover," Kiswani said.

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18 Palestinians arrested after Israeli raid on Al-Aqsa: Israeli police 

18 Palestinians have been arrested since Israeli soldiers and settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday morning, Israeli police have said in a statement.

Among the detained were four Palestinians accused of throwing stones at buses carrying settlers to the compound, the police said.

Israeli soldiers fire rubber bullets at Palestinian protesters near Al-Aqsa gates 

Israeli soldiers are firing rubber bullets at Palestinian protesters in the Bab al-Huta neighbourhood of Jerusalem adjacent to Al-Aqsa mosque.

Soldiers are also chasing Palestinians through the Wadi Al-Joz neighbourhood, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Israeli forces leave inside of Al-Aqsa compound, stay put at its gates 

Israeli security forces have left the inside of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site has reported.

They also reopened the Al-Qibla and Al-Sakhra Al-Sharifah (Noble Rock) prayer rooms, where they were holding dozens of Palestinian worshippers including women, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's reporter on the ground in Jerusalem said.

However, soldiers are maintaining a heavy presence at the gates of the Al-Aqsa compound, with large numbers of settlers present at the Buraq Wall (Wailing Wall), where Jewish pilgrims pray and receive priestly blessings on Passover.

31 injured in Israeli assault in and around Al-Aqsa

31 people were injured Sunday by Israeli security forces and settlers within or in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has reported.

Medical NGO the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had treated 27 of the injured.

It said Israeli forces had obstructed its team from entering the compound to treat the injured.

Ra'am chief calls for calm, downplays possibility of party leaving coalition

Mansour Abbas the head of the Ra'am (United Arab List) party mostly comprised of Palestinians living in Israel, has called for calm after Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and compound.

“The scenes at Al-Aqsa were very difficult," Abbas told Israel's Channel 12 on Saturday night.

"It doesn’t matter how it started or how it ended. When you see those pictures it affects people’s nerves and so you’ll see various reactions. We acted and put out a call for calm and to give [the mosque] its respect, to allow people to pray in peace.”

However, he downplayed the possibility of Ra'am leaving Israel's ruling coalition.

"We have a joint leadership, we came into the coalition to advance the Arab public’s interests. We do that and do our part to calm spirits and bring people together.”

Israelis fire tear gas, stun grenades to flush out Al-Qibli prayer hall

Israeli forces fired tear gas and sound bombs in Al-Aqsa's Al-Qibli prayer hall to force out Palestinian worshippers, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has reported.

Israeli force snipers stationed themselves on the roof of the prayer hall earlier on Sunday, from where they surveyed the mosque's courtyard, according to local media reports.

Al-Aqsa preacher urges Palestinians, Muslim nations to defend mosque

Ikrima Sabri, preacher at Al-Aqsa Mosque, has called on Palestinians to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque from attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers.

Speaking to The New Arab's Arabic-language sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Sabri also urged other Arab and Islamic countries to step up and help protect the mosque.

Sabri is the head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, and was Grand Mufti of Palestine between 1994 and 2006.