Israel bans scores of Palestinians from Al-Aqsa ahead of Passover
April 9, 2017 2:43 P.M. (Updated: April 10, 2017 1:18 P.M.)
Israel bans scores of Palestinians from Al-Aqsa ahead of Passover

JERUSALEM (Ma’an - Palestinian news service) -- Israeli forces detained at
least 30 Palestinians during raids in occupied East Jerusalem overnight
Saturday and banned them from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while three
Palestinians from northern Israel were also banned from the holy site over a
Facebook post related to Passover, amid a security crackdown imposed by
Israel leading up to the Jewish holiday.


The majority of the 30 Jerusalemites were later released, after Israeli
authorities banned them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
Jerusalem’s Old City for at least 15 days, while some were banned for
periods between three to six months.



Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) head in Jerusalem Nadi Qaws told Ma’an
that the detention raids were launched in the Old City and the neighboring
areas of Silwan, al-Tur, and Wadi Joz.



The Palestinians were first verbally notified of the bans, and were later
ordered to appear at Israeli police stations for interrogation.



Lawyer Muhammad Mahmoud identified five of the detainees, all from al-Tur,
as 16-year-old Farid Iyad Abu al-Hawa, 14-year-old Muhammad Samir Abu
al-Hawa, 18-year-old Muhammad Khalil Sbeitan, 19-year-old Ahmad Muhammad
Ashayer, and 24-year-old Bahaa Taysir Abu Jumaa.



Qaws identified 22 other detainees as Muhammad al-Rakin, Muhammad Ashour,
Yousif Abu Shusha, Muhammad Abu Farha, Khalid Milhis, Ahmad al-Julani, Ahmad
al-Shawish, Mahmmoud al-Shawish, Yousif al-Shawish, Ahmad al-Rakin, Uday
Sunokrut, Ahmad al-Hashlamoun, Ibrahim al-Natsheh, Jihad Qaws, Muhammad
Shawqi Sanduqa, Thaer Zghir, Raghib Abu Sneineh, Khader al-Ajlouni, Muhammad
al-Zin, Omar Zaanin, Omar Salama, and Muhammad al-Hashlamoun -- all of whom
were released after they were interrogated and issued bans.



Israeli forces also raided the homes of Alaa al-Fakhouri and Muhannad
al-Daqaq, who were delivered orders to turn themselves in for interrogation
when they were not found in their homes.



“For (Palestinian) Jerusalemites, the Jewish holiday season means an
escalation in arbitrary detentions, house raids, and searches -- measures
that terrify families. The installation of additional security checkpoints,
particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque’s gates and in the Old City, only increase
tensions in Jerusalem,” Qaws said.



He further argued that Israeli police ban certain Palestinians from Al-Aqsa
in an effort to give Israelis free rein to tour the holy site. According to
Qaws, the majority of Palestinians targeted Saturday night were the same
people Israeli forces target every Jewish holiday through the detentions
raids and bans.



The PPS official condemned the policy, and expressed outrage over the three-
to six-month bans in particular, which will bar the Palestinians from
visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan,
which begins at the end of May.



Qaws noted that five other Jerusalemites had received ban orders in recent
days, bringing the total of affected Palestinians to at least 35. Some of
them were banned from the entirety of the Old City, not just Al-Aqsa, he
said.



Israeli police foreign press spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a written
statement Sunday morning that information gathered during “security
assessments” prior to Passover uncovered “intentions by extremists both Jews
and Arabs to disrupt the festival activities and cause public disorder.”



“Individuals have received a court order keeping them away from the Old City
and the Temple Mount,” Rosenfeld said, using the Jewish term for the Al-Aqsa
compound, “in order to prevent incidents over the festival.”



He did not provide further details on how many had been banned, but added
that “police operations will continue as part of the preparations for the
festival of Passover beginning tomorrow and continuing for over a week.”



PPS also said that Israeli police released a Palestinian youth from
detention Saturday night, after he was detained over a Facebook post that
called upon Palestinians to visit the mosque during the Passover. The
week-long holiday, his post reportedly said, had a “dangerous effect” on
conditions at Al-Aqsa.



PPS identified the youth as Muhammad Khalaf from the Palestinian city of
Tamra in northern Israel.



His brother Islam Khalaf told Ma’an that after Israeli police released
Muhammad from detention, Muhammad was placed under a seven-day house arrest,
and was also banned from entering Jerusalem and from using Facebook for
three months.
...


Islam said that he and his cousin Issa were also summoned for interrogation
on Friday after they both commented on Muhammad’s post. They were released
from detention after being banned from Al-Aqsa Mosque for 15 days.



The detentions came after Israeli authorities announced that Israel would
impose a military closure on the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip
for Passover, to begin on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m., and end on Monday
April 17 at 11:59 p.m..



During the period, Palestinians will be prevented from entering Israel for
any purpose, including work, with the exception of “special circumstances
and humanitarian cases.”



Last month, Israeli authorities sealed the West Bank and tightened the
decade-long closure of the Gaza Strip for the Jewish holiday of Purim,
preventing movement both in and out of the occupied territory.