JERUSALEM, May 5, 2018 (WAFA) – Hundreds of Palestinians from inside Israel arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday to help in cleaning up the ancient Bab al-Rahmeh Muslim cemetery bordering Jerusalem’s Old City and the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to officials.

They said Palestinians of all ages tool part in the cleaning process.

The campaign to clean the cemetery came after the Israeli authorities began plans to take parts of the Muslim cemetery in order to turn it into a park, which led to the uncovering of graves and exposure of skeletons of dead Palestinians.

This step provoked families of Palestinians buried there, mainly from the nearby Silwan neighborhood, who got into altercation with Israeli police and members of the Israel nature authority over the past few days in an attempt to stop Israeli violation of the sanctity of the cemetery.

Work at Al-Aqsa Mosque also precedes the holy fast month of Ramadan, which is expected to commence in 10 days.

Thousands of Muslims usually attend prayers at the Mosque during Ramadan and their numbers exceed what the closed-in buildings can handle forcing many to pray outdoors in the open yards.

The work at the Mosque compound included putting up shades and canvas covers all over the yards to protect worshippers from the hot summer sunlight.

M.K.