Muslim elders encouraged faithful to return to pray at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday after deeming that Israel had removed all security measures installed after an attack in the Old City that sparked violence.
The elders announced their decision after a report from the Waqf, a Jordanian-backed body that oversees the Muslim religious sites in Jerusalem.
Israel installed metal detectors, cameras and other measures following a July 14 attack in which two policemen were shot dead.
Days of violent protests followed.
“The technical report showed that all obstacles the occupation (Israel) put outside Al-Aqsa mosque were removed,” the head of the Waqf, Abdel-Azeem Salhab, said.
“We praise this stand in the past two weeks outside Al-Aqsa and we want this stand to continue outside Al-Aqsa and now inside Al-Aqsa,” he said, urging worshippers to return to the site.
NAN reports that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for calm, saying there was the risk of an explosion of violence.
Tensions around the holy site have led to long periods of unrest in the past, including the second Palestinian uprising or Intifada, which left thousands dead from 2000 to 2004.
“I am particularly concerned about the potential risk of escalating violence, urge all political, religious and community leaders to refrain from provocative action and rhetoric, and call on Israel to demonstrate restraint,” Guterres said.
Amateur video shot overnight showed Israeli contractors dismantling gantries put up to hold security cameras and using forklift trucks to take away metal barriers from the marble Lion’s Gate entrance to the mosque compound.
Witnesses said all the security devices had been removed and crowds of Palestinians gathered in the early hours to celebrate.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri confirmed the removal.
“Everything that was installed after the attack (the killing of the two police officers) was taken down overnight,” she said.
Muslim and political leaders were meeting to discuss the situation and determine whether they are satisfied.
