Israel Extends Closure of West Bank, Gaza

Arab World

April 10th, 6:56am

Jerusalem, London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Palestinians cross the Qalandia checkpoint to attend Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque (AP)

The Israeli army on Sunday announced that all crossing points of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip would remain closed until Wednesday for security reasons. Meanwhile, Muslims prayed at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound while Jewish worshippers gathered for Passover’s "Priestly Blessing" at the Western Wall without incident on Sunday, after days of tension at the flashpoint Jerusalem site which led to cross-border exchanges of fire. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a Tweet that upon "the directives of Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and an operational situation assessment, the closure at the West Bank and Gaza would continue to midnight on Wednesday, April 12." Gallant had recently ordered the tightening of security measures along all roads and residential communities in Israel, following an attack in the West Bank and security tensions on several fronts. Meanwhile, Reuters said Ramadan prayers and Jewish Passover visits at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound passed without incident on Sunday. Last week, the Al-Aqsa compound – sacred to Muslims and Jews – was at the center of a security crisis set off when Israeli police raided the mosque to dislodge what they said were youths barricaded inside armed with rocks and fireworks. Footage of the raid, showing police beating worshippers, triggered a furious reaction across the Arab world, sparking rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinian factions that were met with Israeli strikes on sites in Gaza, south Lebanon and Syria. There were no reports of casualties. Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, met with Palestinian Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Lebanon, the group said on Sunday, and discussed the situation at Al-Aqsa. Israeli security experts have said that Iran-backed Hezbollah likely gave its permission to Hamas to fire the rockets from Lebanon. "Our enemies were wrong when they thought that Israel’s citizens were not united in support for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu –who is facing unprecedented protests at home against judicial changes – said in a statement. In Gaza, Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson urged "all fronts to unite and confront the escalation by the arrogant (Israeli) occupation."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4263931/israel-extends-closure-west-bank-gaza