Israeli Intelligence Raids the House of Al Aqsa Mosque Imam and Interrogates Him

Al Aqsa Mosque. (Wikimedia Commons/Nikeman916)

JAKARTA - Israel's intelligence services summoned Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, for questioning on Monday, according to his family.

A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israeli forces raided Sabri's house in the al-Suwaneh neighborhood of East Jerusalem, reported by Daily Sabah, January 3.

"He was summoned for questioning without specifying the reasons," he told Anadolu Agency.

There was no comment from the Israeli authorities on the reported raids and interrogations.

Sheikh Sabri is a staunch critic of Israel's decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories. Previously, he had been arrested several times by Israeli forces.

He previously served as Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories from 1994 to 2006.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in the world. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount", claiming that it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

It is known that Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, which was never recognized by the international community.