Jerusalem: Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday killed a Palestinian youth during a raid on Balata refugee camp and demolished two homes in the southern West Bank. The occupation also continued repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, while imposing severe restrictions on Palestinian worshippers.
According to Jordan News Agency, the Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that the 25-year-old Mohammad Madani died after being shot by Israeli forces in Balata camp, east of Nablus in the northern West Bank. In related developments, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission announced Israeli forces demolished two houses in Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, in addition to a mosque minaret under construction in Dura, south of Hebron.
Director of South West Bank Endowments, Saher Darawish, reported that Israeli forces tore down the 15-meter minaret of Al-Farouq Mosque in Hijra neighborhood, citing a lack of permit and its proximity to a military tower erected at the town's entrance. Forces also issued orders to halt construction on two agricultural rooms and three water wells in Al-Khader.
In occupied Jerusalem, dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound from Al-Maghariba Gate in successive groups under heavy Israeli police protection. The Islamic Waqf noted that settlers carried out provocative tours inside the courtyards, performing Talmudic rituals and dances near Bab Al-Rahma and the eastern areas of the mosque.
At the same time, Israeli police imposed tight restrictions on Palestinian worshippers entering the mosque, checking IDs and confiscating some at the gates, preventing many from accessing the site during the incursion.