JERUSALEM, July 2, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli police Thursday banned a Palestinian young man’s entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and physically assaulted a small girl inside the Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

WAFA correspondent reported that police banned Tamer Shala‘ta, from Sakhnin, entry into the Mosque compound for 17 days and fined him 8,000 NIS (about $2120).

This came a day after Shala‘ta was detained from inside the Mosque compound and moved to an interrogation center purportedly for chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ to protest the presence of Israeli settler groups that forced their way into the compound.

Meanwhile, a special unit police officer physically assaulted a  young girl inside the compound purportedly for shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ in protest of the presence of more Israeli settler groups.

The 10-year-old child, who remains unidentified, sustained wounds in her legs and was treated at the scene.

This came as thousands of Palestinians from across the West Bank headed early Thursday to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in preparation for the third Friday of Ramadan, passing into East Jerusalem via the various military checkpoints that surround the city.

Israeli military checkpoints surrounding the city, especially Qalandiya and Bethlehem checkpoints are having traffic congestions, forcing hundreds of Palestinian drivers heading to the Mosque to park their vehicles on sidewalks extending from Qalandiya to al-Ram.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian worshipers from the Gaza Strip continue to be prevented from reaching East Jerusalem to pray.

They were prevented from doing so after Israeli authorities revoked their permits to visit the Islamic holy site during the previous week after a rocket landed from Gaza into southern Israel.

K.F/M.H