Israeli diplomat Mark Regev says Israel respects sanctity of religious sites

Questioned on the BBC's Today Programme about Israeli forces entering al-Aqsa Mosque, Mark Regev, an Israeli diplomat and senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed: "We don't act against people acting their religious rights and freedom."

When asked whether the forced evictions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem would continue, Regev said the decision would be down to the courts and that Israel had a "scrupulously independent judiciary".