Israeli Occupation forces closed on Monday, 13 February 2023 the gates of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

Local Palestinian media sources reported that hundreds of Israeli well-armed forces deployed in Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards and closed the gates of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of occupied Jerusalem. 

In the same context, Israeli occupation forces arrested a 14-year-old Palestinian youth for allegedly carrying out a stabbing attack against a colonial settler in the old city of occupied Jerusalem.

The Israeli security cabinet yesterday approved several measures against Palestinians, including strict military action in occupied Jerusalem.

Following its meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a series of measures aimed at suppressing Palestinian resistance were approved. They include the deployment of extra military troops in the occupied holy city.

The cabinet also legalized nine isolated illegal settler outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu claimed that the decision, which listed the illegal outposts as Avigayil, Beit Hogla, Givat Harel, Givat Arnon, Mitzpe Yehuda, Malachei Hashalom, Asahel, Sde Boaz and Shacharit, came in response to a string of Palestinian “terror” attacks in occupied Jerusalem.

More than 650,000 colonial settlers were distributed among 164 illegal settlements and 124 outposts built on the stolen lands of occuiped West Bank and Jerusalem. 

The West Bank and Jerusalem lands are occupied territories based on International law due to this all Israeli settlement-building activities there are illegal.