JERUSALEM, Sunday, January 20, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli police decided on Sunday to ban five employees of the Islamic Waqf (endowment) department, which is in charge of the Muslim places in Jerusalem, and a sixth activist from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for periods ranging between four and six months.

The Islamic Waqf department said Ahmad Abu Alia, Fadi Elayan, Lo’ai Abu Said, were ordered to stay away from the mosque for six months, while Yahia Shehada and Salman aby Mayala were given a four-month ban. The five work as guards at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The sixth activist, Awad Salaymeh, was ordered to stay away for six months.

Last week, Israeli police released four employees of the Muslim Waqf department and banned them from being at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for one week.

The police detained the four guards as they were leaving the compound after police imposed a siege for several hours on the Dome of the Rock mosque, which along with Al-Aqsa Mosque make the walled Al-Haram Al-Sharif (Nobel Sanctuary) compound, because one of the guards prevented a policeman wearing the Jewish kippah from entering the Dome of the Rock mosque.

The police ended the siege after hundreds of people started gathering at the mosque demanding reopening of the mosque for worship.

M.N