JERUSALEM, December 27, 2011 (WAFA) – The Israeli authorities Tuesday closed Al-Ain Mosque, the oldest mosque in Silwan, a nearby kindergarten, and several shops located in the main street of Wadi Helwa, in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan until a further notice, according to WAFA correspondent.
He said that the closure order was issued under the pretext of “ensuring public safety and fearing of further collapses, following the collapse that took place on Monday near the mosque.”
Head of the Committee for the Defense of Silwan, Fakhri Abu Diab expressed concern over this decision, especially as the reason behind the collapses, whether the Monday’s collapse or the previous ones, is the Israeli ongoing digging of tunnels under the neighborhood to connect it to the old city.
He warned of the Israeli authorities intentions to close several more shops and homes in the area in order to seize the area and displace its residents, aiming to judaize the neighborhood of Wadi Helwa, the closest neighborhood to al-Aqsa mosque from the south.
He called on the Palestinian residents of Silwan to exercise the highest level of vigilance and caution of the Israeli plans, which are targeting their presence in the area.
Abu Diab appealed to the local and international communities to promptly intervene to put a stop to the Israeli dangerous plans targeting al-Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian existence around it.Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
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