Mahmoud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh
Hamas, PA laud 'historic,' 'huge' victory in Temple Mount crisis
While Hamas praises ‘victory’ over Israel’s army and government following decision to remove all recently-installed security equipment at compound, Fatah applauds 'Palestinian heroes in Jerusalem' for their struggle, claims political credit for Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas described Thursday morning Israel’s decision to remove all recently-installed security facilities at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as an “historic victory over Israel, its army and its government,” for the Palestinian people.
Israeli security forces began dismantling all security apparatuses, including scaffoldings for security CCTV, that were recently installed at the entrances to the compound sacred to both Jews and Muslims following a terror attack earlier this month at the site that claimed the lives of two police officers.
Head of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh and PA President Mahmoud Abbas
President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement also issued a similar statement praising what it described as a huge victory achieved by Palestinians in Jerusalem and the political ranks.
“The huge victory at Al-Aqsa came thanks to the Palestinian heroes in Jerusalem and thanks to the political leadership headed by Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah movement.”
Muslim worshipers began celebrating overnight Wednesday as Israeli security forces began dismantling all security apparatuses that were recently installed at the Temple Mount entrances following a terror attack at the site that claimed the lives of two police officers.
Israel removes camera scaffoldings (Photo: AFP)
Muslim leaders and Waqf leaders are set to attend a meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday morning where they will decide once again either to permit worshipers to begin praying inside the Al-Asqa mosque or call on protesters to continue the struggle.
Throughout the crisis, the Waqf and the PA have made defusing the tensions dependent upon Israel’s decision to reverse its decisions taken in the aftermath of a terror attack earlier this month that claimed the lives of two police officers.
