JERUSALEM, August 30, 2018 (WAFA) – Work resumed on Thursday in restoring the historic Qasem Basha landmark inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City after Israeli police had ordered the Muslim Waqf department, which is in charge of the compound, to stop the restoration work.

Police detained on Saturday four Palestinian Waqf staff working on the restoration of Qasem Basha landmark claiming the Waqf should had first obtained a permit from the police, which is rejected by the Waqf department that says it has sole control over renovation and restoration work in the Muslim holy site and therefore does not need permission from Israel. The four staff were also ordered to stay away from the Mosque for 15 days or risk arrest.

Waqf director Azzam Khatib said that following pressure from the Jordanian government, the official custodian over Muslim  holy places in Jerusalem, and the Waqf department, Israel cancelled the keep-away order against the four Waqf staffers and allowed resumption of the restoration work., which he said was an important step to preserve the great Islamic heritage at the Mosque.

Palestinians accuse Israel and fanatic Jewish groups of plotting to take control over Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in order to turn into a Jewish shrine after destroying the mosques in the compound that include the golden Dome of the Rock. They warned that any such step could trigger a bitter religious strife.

M.K.