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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained nine Palestinians from Jerusalem after raiding their homes in the Old City and delivered interrogation summons for others on Friday.

An Israeli police spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Head of the Jerusalem Prisoners’ Families Committee, Amjad Abu Asab told Ma'an the detentions were carried out as groups of settlers called for access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday for the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av.

Right-wing Jewish organizations have presented an appeal to the Israeli PM signed by 1000 Israelis demanding to open the Al-Aqsa Mosque for Jews via the Moroccan Gate starting Sunday July 26 until the end of the week.

The organizations demanded that Al-Aqsa be entirely closed to Muslims starting Saturday evening and all day Sunday.

They also requested the holy site to be closed to Muslims during proposed Israeli visitation hours from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. from Monday to Thursday next week.

The organizations also demanded that Jews entering the mosque’s compound on Sunday would be allowed to pray freely inside, and that groups entering the compound from Monday to Thursday would be allowed to enter the Qabali and Marwani mosques inside of the Al-Aqsa compound.

The third holiest site in Islam, the compound is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood.

Since 1967 Israel has maintained an agreement with the Islamic trust that controls the Al-Aqsa compound not to allow non-Muslim prayer in the area, while Jewish prayer is allowed at the neighboring Western Wall.

However, armed Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the mosque compound, leading to anger among Muslim worshipers, often resulting and clashes and detentions.
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by IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers invaded, earlier on Friday, several Palestinian neighborhoods in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, searched homes, and kidnapped nine Palestinians. On Thursday evening, soldiers invaded Silwan and broke into home before attempting to kidnap some youths.

Amjad Abu Asab, head of the Jerusalem Detainees Families Committee, has reported that the soldiers kidnapped Mohammad Abu Farha, Mohammad Basety, Eyad al-Ghouj, Omar Ibrahim, Ahmad Shaweesh, Abdullah Da’na, Mahmoud Shaweesh, Wahid Bakri and Ma’moun Gheith.

Abu Asab added that the soldiers also handed several young men military orders for interrogation in a number of detention centers, in occupied Jerusalem.

On Thursday evening, undercover soldiers of the Israeli army invaded Ein al-Louza neighborhood in Silwan, and attempted to abduct a number of local youths.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan has reported that the undercover soldiers chased several youths and children in the neighborhood, and smashed a door of the local mosque before occupying its rooftop.

Soldiers also invaded a land belonging to members of the al-‘Abbasi family, and searched it.

On Thursday afternoon, soldiers and personnel of the Jerusalem City Council attached a demolition order to a wall of an under construction home, in Silwan.

The 138 square/meter home belongs to members of al-Qaaq family.

Earlier on Thursday, soldiers invaded al-‘Abbasiyya neighborhood in Silwan, searched the ruins of a demolished home belonging to Khaled az-Zeer, and kidnapped Hamza az-Zeer.

Soldiers also detained Morad al-Ghoul after storming his shop in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood.