Israel has removed railings and an overhead metal bridge it had recently installed near a contested Jerusalem holy site, meeting a demand by Muslim protesters.
Palestine TV showed thousands of Palestinians celebrating in the streets early Thursday. They danced, chanted “God is Great” and set off fireworks.
Israel had installed metal detectors, the railings and more security cameras after a July 14 shooting attack from the shrine by Arab gunmen who killed two Israeli policemen.
The metal detectors were later removed, and Muslims staged mass prayer protests to press for the removal of the other devices as well.
The shrine is holy to Muslims and Jews.
Muslim leaders said they would decide later Thursday whether worshippers could now return to the shrine for prayers.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging all political, religious and community Ieaders to refrain from “provocative action and rhetoric” over the holy sites in Jerusalem and is calling on Israel “to demonstrate restraint.”
Guterres’ statement was issued Wednesday evening at U.N. headquarters in New York after rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas issued calls for mass protests by Muslims against Israel on Friday over security measures installed at a contested site.
The secretary-general said he is “particularly concerned about the potential risk of escalating violence.”
Source: Associated Press
