The Israeli forces lifted its siege on the Dome of the Rock of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City in the occupied East Jerusalem on Monday night.
Israeli police had imposed a siege on the Dome of the Rock for six hours since Monday morning. The Israeli step sparked tensions between police and Palestinian worshippers in the compound of the Al-Aqsa. The Dome of the Rock has been reopened to Muslim worshippers.
Five Palestinians including three mosque guards were arrested by Israeli police after the holy place was reopened, according to Anadolu Agency.
Tensions were sparked after the guards of the mosque prevented an Israeli policeman from storming the mosque wearing a Jewish Kippah. The guards asked the policeman to take off his Jewish Kippah before entering the mosque, but he refused to remove it and attempted to force his way into the mosque, according to Palestinian News Agency.
After that, the mosque guards closed its doors in order to keep it from Israeli attempts, and shortly after hundreds of Palestinian worshippers came to the place. Meanwhile, the director of the Al Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani was physically assaulted by Israeli forces.
According to Palestinian media, Israeli police is allowed to carry out routine security checks every morning in the holy places, however they are not allowed to enter them with the Jewish Kippah.
