

The Israeli works near the al-Aqsa Mosque are meant as a direct attack on the holy Muslim site, Sheikh Ra'ed Salah of the Islamic Movement stated Tuesday.
"The purpose of the excavations is to build a synagogue in the very location of the Al-Buraq Mosque, and the bridge is meant to enable military vehicles and trucks access to the mosque, for an attack on the Temple Mount," he said.
"Israel is conquering the al-Aqsa mosque by force," Salah charged, "and that is why it is our duty to emphasize that no Israeli institute has sovereignty over the al-Aqsa Mosque, or over holy Jerusalem. We stress that if the Israeli establishment moves one particle of the sacred mosque, this will be a crime."
Salah accused Israel of building the bridge with the intention of using it to shift military forces into the mosque. "They plan to build a massive bridge that will enable 300 soldiers to enter the mosque simultaneously, and I have a document to attest to that." he said.
"The bridge will be strong enough to hold the military vehicles of the Israeli occupation, and bulldozers and trucks. So I ask: does this not mean that the bridge is a prelude to an Israeli attack on al-Aqsa?" he added.