Jewish fanatics during one of their many provocative tours of Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

JERUSALEM, April 12, 2017 (WAFA) – Israel detained early Wednesday five Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem and a member of the Palestinian parliament as its forces have increased their clampdown on the city’s Palestinian residents for the Jewish Passover holiday, according to local sources.

They said Ahmad Attoun, a lawmaker from Jerusalem, was detained at his home of exile in Ramallah and taken in for interrogation.

Even though Attoun is from Jerusalem, he and two other lawmakers from the Hamas-backed Reform List in the Palestinian Legislative Council were exiled by Israel, the occupying power, to the West Bank and banned from returning to their homes in East Jerusalem.

International law bans the occupying power from displacing local residents.

Attoun had spent a total of 10 years in Israeli jails for resisting the occupation.

Police also detained five other Palestinians from Jerusalem’s Old City after raiding their homes and took them to interrogation centers.

The arrests come as fanatic Jewish groups have called on their followers to  hold religious rituals in Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Muslim holy place in the Old City, as they mark the Jewish Passover  holiday.

Muslims have vowed to defy the Jewish calls after fearing that Jewish fanatics want to take over their worship site.

Police has already banned more than 40 Palestinians, some of them employees at Al-Aqsa, from entering the holy compound during the Jewish holiday and some even exceeding that to six months.

Israel has also declared a week-long closure on the West Bank and Gaza banning Palestinians from entering Jerusalem and Israel during the Jewish holiday.

The Palestinian government condemned during its weekly session on Tuesday calls by fanatic Jewish groups to increase their provocative acts at to Al-Aqsa compound during Passover holiday.

It said that while police shuts its eyes to Jewish incitement against Palestinians and the Mosque, it prevents Muslims from reaching it for worship.

The government called on Palestinians to be present at all times at Al-Aqsa Mosque to safeguard it from the Jewish fanatics who want to take it over and turn it into a Jewish temple.

Reports on Wednesday said more than 200 fanatics have entered the Mosque during the morning visit hours.

Police has banned young Palestinians from entering the compound since Tuesday night.

K.T./M.K.