An Israeli construction vehicle exits from Lion's Gate of Jerusalem's Old City after removing metal detectors from the entrance to Al-Aqsa mosque compound, July 25, 2017. Israel's Security Cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors from the entrance to the holy site in Jerusalem which is known as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims and Temple Mount to Jews, and to take security measures based on advanced technologies ("smart checks") instead, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday morning. (Xinhua/Guo Yu)
JERUSALEM, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Tuesday was removing metal detectors from the entry to Jerusalem's holy site, which is known as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims and Temple Mount to Jews, following days of violent clashes.
Photos on Israeli media showed security guards removing the detectors overnight between Monday and Tuesday. The removal began right after the security cabinet announced its decision after consultations that continued into the early morning hours.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the security cabinet accepted "the recommendation of all of the security bodies to incorporate security measures based on advanced technologies ('smart checks') and other measures instead of metal detectors in order to ensure the security of visitors and worshippers in the Old City and on the Temple Mount."
The statement also said that Israel's Police will reinforce its units and carry out additional actions as necessary "in order to ensure the security of visitors on the Mount."
A 100-million-shekel (about 28 million U.S. dollars) budget was allocated to implement the plan over a time frame of up to six months, the cabinet said.
The detectors, installed following a shooting attack that killed three Israeli policemen, sparked a huge protest. They are seen by the Palestinians as a violation of the status quo at the Muslim-run compound and an Israeli attempt to gain more control over the site.
