Palestinians barricaded themselves in the al-Aqsa mosque on Saturday night, with concerns that clashes would break out if police removed them from the site. As of the beginning of Fajr prayers on Sunday morning, entry to the complex was open and police had not entered to remove those inside.
Jewish visitors are set to visit the site from 7:00-11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. It is unclear as of yet if police will remove Palestinian youths in the complex before the visits.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry warned on Saturday night of "catastrophic consequences" if police forces go into al-Aqsa to remove Palestinians, stressing that such a move would push the situation "towards more tension and violence, for which everyone will pay the price."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to the Jordanian statement later in the night, writing "Those who desecrate the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and barricade themselves inside it are a dangerous mob, radicalized and incited by Hamas and other terror organizations."
"We call on Jordan, through the Waqf guards, to immediately remove from the Al-Aqsa Mosque these extremists who are planning to riot tomorrow during Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount and the Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall."
Hamas spokesman for the city of Jerusalem, Muhammad Hamadeh, warned that "The aggression of the occupation will only be met with resistance, and the resistance is ready to respond to the crimes of the occupation in a manner equivalent to the size of the crime."
Hamadeh added that "Ben-Gvir and his government bear full responsibility for what will happen to Al-Aqsa Mosque and those stationed in it. Al-Aqsa is a red line, and attacking it is tampering with detonators that began to explode in the face and sides of the occupation."
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