Abbas: Israel transforming political conflict into religious war
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas warned Israel on Wednesday against turning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict into a religious war, stressing that recent attacks on Muslim worshipers in the Al-Aqsa mosque threatened the nature of the national struggle.
Abbas said in a televised statement from his presidential headquarters in Ramallah that Palestinians and "the world know the dangers of using religion in political conflicts; we must all see what goes around us and Israel must pay attention and understand that such steps are dangerous to both Israel and others."
He added that Israel's attempts to open a second gate for Jews to enter the compound, altering the religious status quo, was a provocation about which Palestinians "could not remain silent."
Abbas also warned that the same kinds of provocations are happening at the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron, where worshipers are prevented from praying inside "as if Israel wants to completely cancel the Islamic existence of the mosque."
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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli police on Tuesday confiscated the identity cards of Palestinian worshipers from Gaza who were praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, witnesses said.
Israeli police confiscated their identity cards as they entered and also prevented worshipers from Gaza from taking food into the courtyards.
Separately, clashes broke out near the Hatta Gate as Israeli police imposed restrictions on Palestinians under 50.
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