Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-02-07

Clashes between a group of young Palestinians and Israeli soldiers broke out near a gate of Al Aqsa Masjid complex on Thursday night.

It is believed a number of Zionist groups tried to storm the masjid complex in the hopes of raising the Israeli flag at the summit.

According to news reports, these radical groups have called for the breaking into the Dome of the Rock.

During the confrontations, Israeli troops used batons and pepper sprays against the Palestinians who chanted slogans against the occupation, Palestinian sources said.

The sources added that dozens of young Palestinians stayed the whole night at the masjid to confront the settlers who called for a broad storming of Al-Aqsa yards and raising the Israeli flags in response to what they called the raising of Palestinian flags and banners of Palestinian factions.

"Radical settlers also called for breaking into the Dome of the Rock”, the sources added.

A state of high tension prevails inside Al-Aqsa Masjid with a large number of Israeli soldiers deployed in the area and around the gates of the masjid.

President of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) Moulana Igsaan Hendricks told Voice of the Cape, Masjid ul Aqsa was not the only place of worship suffering under the grip of the occupation, but equally the churches of the Christian community.

Moulana Hendricks called on the community to express their messages of solidarity during this time with the people of Palestine.

“My call to the community is to be vigilant, to follow the news, and to make use of the social networks to express our solidarity with the position of Masjidul Aqsa. Nothing less is expected from us as South Africans, but to remain in solidarity with the Palestinian people,” added Moulana Hendricks.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)