AL-AQSA COMPOUND IS CLOSED TO NON-MUSLIM VISITORS UNTIL RAMADAN END

Tue 11 Apr 2023:

Jewish visitors and tourists will be banned from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem until the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, a statement from Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

An Israeli police raid at the site last week triggered rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria that were met with Israeli strikes. In previous years, Israel has banned Jewish visits to the compound in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

On Sunday, the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said 912 settlers stormed Al Aqsa Mosque on the Jewish Passover holiday, which continues until April 12.

Rising tensions

Tension escalated across Palestinian territories after Israeli forces stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem and forcibly removed worshippers last week.

The Israeli raids on the mosque triggered rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon, with Israel retaliating with airstrikes.

Palestinians accuse Israel of systematically working to Judaize East Jerusalem, where Al Aqsa is located, and obliterate its Arab and Islamic identity.

For Muslims, Al Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognised by the international community.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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