LONDON: The Palestinian Authority has issued a warning about the ongoing Israeli closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, which entered its 16th successive day on Sunday.
The Jerusalem Governorate has warned that blocking worshippers from accessing the mosque due to security concerns linked to the US-Israeli conflict over Iran is an effort to further settlers’ ideological goals to change the mosque’s religious, historic, and legal status.
It is the longest period the site has remained closed since the Israeli occupation of the city in June 1967, according to the WAFA News Agency. It is also the first time that Palestinian worshippers have been barred from performing prayers at Al-Aqsa during the last days of Ramadan, which ends this week.
Several Arab and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, last week condemned Israeli measures to close the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The site is administered by Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, which holds the legal authority to manage the compound and control access.
Israel has announced a state of emergency across the country as a result of its conflict with Iran. In conjunction with the US, it has been carrying out airstrikes on Iranian territory since Feb. 28. In response, Iran has continued to strike Israel and several other countries in the region with missiles and armed drones.
