JERUSALEM, July 19, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli police said Wednesday that it has shut down Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City for Jewish visitation after a number of Jews attempted to hold religious rituals in the Muslim holy site in violation of visitation rules.

A police spokesperson said the Jerusalem police chief has cancelled the morning visitation after a number of Jews have violated standing rules that ban prayer on the premise for non-Muslims.

The group was quickly removed from the mosque premises, said the spokesperson, and visitation was stopped.

This is the second day in a row that Jewish fanatics try to take advantage of the fact that the mosque compound is empty of Muslim worshippers and attempt to hold religious  rituals.

Police removed one person on Tuesday after attempting to perform Jewish rituals in the courtyard of the mosque and took him in for questioning.

Palestinian Muslims are refusing to enter the mosque compound in protest against installation of metal detectors.

Non-Muslims are allowed to visit the compound during certain hours of the day but they are not allowed to perform any religious rituals.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, also known as al-Haram al-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary, is a Muslim-only compound, as agreed on for decades in what is known as the “Status Quo.”

M.K.