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Photo:
Scene. Published by Maan News
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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- The Israeli authorities banned nine Palestinians, on Wednesday, from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, in occupied East Jerusalem, for various periods ranging from five days to six months.

Locals told Ma'an that the Israeli authorities summoned nine Palestinians, who are all residents of the central West Bank district of Jerusalem, to the Israeli police station in the Old City and handed them ban notices.

The notices informed the Palestinians of being banned from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The banned Palestinians were identified as Raed Zughair, an employee of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Reconstruction Committee, Hussam Sader, also an employee of the committee, and Mahdi al-Abbas, an Al-Aqsa Mosque guard, Shadi Matour, Jamil al-Abbasi, Hamza Zughair, Jihad Qaws, Rami al-Fakhouri, and Mahi Abu Asab.

Israeli authorities carried out a campaign banning at least 30 Palestinians entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem under the pretext of "providing security" while Israeli settlers take to the mosque and celebrate Jewish holidays.

Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque; the third holiest site in Islam, it is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place, as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood.