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by IMEMC & Agencies

[Wednesday Morning, April 16, 2014] At least 45 Palestinians have been injured, while several others have been kidnapped, after Israeli soldiers and settlers broke into the yards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem.

The soldiers fired firebombs, gas bombs, concussion grenades, and physically assaulted the worshipers, inflicting this large number of injuries.

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported that the soldiers also attacked Mohammad Mojahed, one of the guards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and kidnapped him, and that more settlers and soldiers and settlers have gathered in the area.

An employee of the Ministry of Waqf, in occupied Jerusalem, said that dozens of soldiers and settlers are surrounding the area, and are trying to remove the Palestinians by force as the settlers are planning to pray in the yards of the mosque.

He added that the soldiers have also been heavily deployed in different parts of the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, and that the police have declared the area a closed military zone to all Palestinians.

The soldiers also closed the al-Magharba Gate, shortly after it opened, to allow tourists and settlers through, an issue which led to further tension especially since a large number of Palestinians were pushed away, and were removed from the mosque area.

Local sources said the army later withdrew from the yards of the al-Aqsa mosque, leaving people with dozens of injuries,as they took the kidnapped mosque guard to a local police station in the occupied city.

Soldiers and settlers are still heavily deployed around the mosque area, and in different parts of the Old City.