Israel Captures Al-Aqsa Mosque Khatib After Friday Prayers

UNSPLASH/Nour tayeh ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Israeli troops arrested the preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammad Sarandah shortly after the Friday prayer.

Various local sources reported Israeli police detained Sheikh Sarandah at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and took him to an interrogation center in the city.

As reported by ANTARA from WAFA-OANA, Friday, September 19, the preacher's detention took place amid Israeli restrictions on worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially during Friday prayers, which are often accompanied by the deployment of fully armed troops at gates and throughout Jerusalem's Old City.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, as a occupation force, has launched genocide in the Gaza Strip, including intentional killings, hunger, destruction, and forced evacuation, which goes against international calls and the International Court's decision to stop the action.

As of March 2 this year, Israeli authorities closed all crossings to the Gaza Strip, thus blocking the entry of most food and medical aids which then accelerated the spread of hunger in the region.

The United Nations Agency (UNBB) for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned that malnutrition among children aged five years and under doubled in the March-June period due to the ongoing blockade.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms malnutrition in Gaza has reached an alarming rate, with nearly one in five children under five under five in Gaza City suffering from severe malnutrition.