Iran Press/ Middle East: The Al-Aqsa mosque has become a tinderbox over the past several days, with the Zionist regime authorities raiding the mosque and clashing with Palestinian protesters there.
In its statement, Hamas praised the Palestinian protesters who “repelled the incursions of the Apartheid occupation and its Zionist settlers with courage and pride, assuring everyone far and wide that Al-Aqsa has men who protect it and defend its purity, despite the ugliness of aggression and terrorism of the occupiers”.
According to the Shehab news agency, the Head of the Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh in his conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked Moscow for its stance on the situation in Al-Aqsa and blasted Tel Aviv for preventing worshippers from reaching the mosque and "assaulting" them.
Lavrov, in his turn, expressed Russia's support for "the Palestinian people in their right to self-determination and their right to establish their Palestinian state", Shehab reported.
On Friday, Shehab reported that the Israeli forces have raised their alertness, bracing for a possible escalation on the Temple Mount.
The site hosts not only Al-Aqsa, which is the third holiest site in Islam, but also the Qubbat aṣ-Sakhra Mosque.
The site is set to close until the end of Ramadan on 2 May.
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