GAZA CITY - Palestinian militant groups on Thursday warned they would break a truce with Israel if Jewish extremists attacked the disputed mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, a site sacred to Jews and Muslims.
"If Zionist extremists carry out their threats of invading Al-Aqsa mosque, it will enflame the region and end the truce," the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade said in a statement.
"Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque are a red line that no Zionist should be able to cross," it said, also calling for demonstrations in support of the mosque throughout the Palestinian territories on Saturday.
Palestinian militants have been observing an informal truce since late January, and Israel has called off major operations in the Palestinian territories.
Islamic Jihad's Gaza Strip branch called for a demonstration in the territory Friday "against the Judaization of Jerusalem".
Militant group Hamas called for similar demonstrations on Friday and Sunday and for those who can to go to Al-Aqsa from Saturday to defend it against Jewish attack.
The Gaza Strip representative of the League of Palestinian Ulemas, Salem Salama, called for the Palestinian Authority as well as Palestinian militant groups to break a truce with Israel if Jewish extremists attacked Al-Aqsa.
Israeli authorities fear extremists could attack the disputed mosque compound in an attempt to disrupt a controversial plan to withdraw Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip.
In a statement Thursday, the Palestinian government said any attack on the compound "would be an aggression against the Arab and Islamic nations".
The Israeli police have announced they will close access to the compound to all non-Muslims on Sunday to block an attempted demonstration by extreme right-wingers.
A small Jewish group called Revava called the demonstration, although its head, Israel Cohen, told army radio he had no intention of resorting to force to gain entry to the compound which is revered by Jews as it was once the site of the Jewish temple, the holiest shrine in Judaism, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The ongoing Palestinian uprising was triggered by a visit to the compound, which houses the Dome of the Rock (Omar Mosque) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, by then opposition leader Sharon.
04/07/2005 19:33 GMT