Palestinians Anger Over Installation of Electronic Trackers at Al-Aqsa Mosque Entrance

Widespread clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem have created a critical situation in the area ahead of Friday prayers on July 21, raising concerns in the U.S. and several countries about the consequences of this situation. According to regional news agencies and media, the clashes have entered a new phase since Friday, July 14, leading to the deployment of hundreds of Israeli security and police forces around Al-Aqsa and in the ancient streets of Jerusalem. Dozens of Palestinians have also been injured and arrested in recent clashes. Israeli media reported on Thursday, July 20, that 'thousands of additional security forces' would be deployed from the evening of that day and ahead of this week's Friday prayers in East Jerusalem, especially around Al-Aqsa. Palestinians have expressed sensitivity over the installation of new equipment for body searches near the entrances to Al-Aqsa and are demanding the removal of this equipment. Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the Palestinian Mufti of East Jerusalem, has declared it forbidden for Muslims to pass through metal detectors. Sheikh Muhammad Hussein warned that if these detectors are not removed, there will be severe disruptions during Friday prayers, placing the responsibility for this on Israel. Israeli security forces installed search equipment, including metal detectors (electronic gates), following a shooting attack last Friday near the entrance to Al-Aqsa. In that attack, three Arab citizens of Israel targeted Israeli security forces in the area, resulting in the deaths of two border police officers, who were also Arab members of the Druze community, and one other person was injured. This armed attack last Friday is unprecedented in the fifty years since Israel's control over East Jerusalem. Israel installed the metal detectors after three Arab attackers managed to secretly bring weapons into Al-Aqsa. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department expressed concern on Wednesday about the consequences of these clashes. Jordan and Saudi Arabia also expressed concern over the escalation of tensions. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation had also warned in recent days about the consequences of the new tensions. At the same time, Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, called on more world leaders to urge the U.S. to pressure Israel into 'retreating' from the intensified security checks on Palestinians. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Mr. Abbas spoke on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday, asking Turkey to persuade the U.S. to convince Israel. This comes as the Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday that some Israeli security and military officials acknowledge that the intensity of inspections on Palestinian worshippers should be reduced, including the removal of metal detectors to prevent the escalation of the crisis. Israeli media have reported that the country's security forces are still investigating whether the attackers from last Friday had affiliations with networks like ISIS and al-Qaeda rather than recognized Palestinian organizations in the 'Resistance Front.'