Jerusalem, the 24th of October: According to a report that the Palestinian official news agency (WAFA) published on Tuesday and cited the Islamic Waqf department, Israeli police have closed the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s old city. This has prevented Muslim worshippers from visiting the mosque.
According to reports from WAFA, the Islamic Waqf, which is the Jordanian-appointed Islamic organisation that is in charge of managing the complex, stated that police officers abruptly shut down all gates leading to the walled compound and stopped Muslims from entering while allowing Jewish worshippers to perform their prayers. This action violated the status quo of the mosque.
Non-Muslims are permitted to enter the sacred site for the sake of sightseeing, but only Muslims are permitted to pray there in accordance with the long-standing status quo agreement that governs the area. Despite this arrangement, there are still frequent visitors of Jewish faith who worship there.
Because of the holy significance of the location, Jews are not permitted to access any portion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, which is also referred to as the Temple Mount.
Since very early on Tuesday morning, Israeli police have placed entrance restrictions on the mosque. According to the official news agency, they originally let only old people enter but then changed their policy to restrict admission to all Muslim worshippers.
This extraordinary but not unheard-of approach comes at a time when tensions in the area are skyrocketing as a direct result of the current conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Frequent sources of friction
The Al-Aqsa complex, also known as Temple Mount and considered the holiest place in Judaism, is a common source of tension between Israelis and Palestinians. It is the third-holiest site in Islam and the most holy location in Judaism.
According to various sources that cited the Islamic Waqf Department, at the beginning of this month, hundreds of Israelis broke their way into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in order to celebrate the fifth day of Sukkot, which is a week-long Jewish festival.
Middle Eastern nations, such as Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, and the countries of the GCC, often release comments condemning the violence carried out by Israeli extremists at the holy site of Al-Aqsa. These extremists, who are frequently protected by Israeli police, engage in violent confrontations with Palestinians who are present at the site. (From Al Arabiya’s English Service)
