Gaza bleeds as Israel closes Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims

Gaza bleeds as Israel closes Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. According to a report by the Palestinian State News Agency (WAFA) of Tuesday, the Israeli police have blocked Muslim worshippers from entering the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s old city, as confirmed by the Islamic Waqf Department of the Israeli government.

It was reported by WAFA that police officers abruptly closed all gates leading into the walled compound, preventing Muslim worshipers from entering while allowing Jewish worshipers to offer prayers, thus violating the mosque’s established order. 

Further confirmation of this was also provided by the Jordanian-appointed Islamic organisation in charge of the complex, Islamic Waqf.

The status quo agreement allows non-Muslims to enter the compound by virtue of a long-standing agreement, but only Muslims are allowed to worship there as part of the long-standing agreement. There are also times when tourists who are Jewish come to the premises to worship there, despite that setup.

Due to the site’s hallowed status, according to Jewish law, Jews are not permitted to enter any area of the Al Aqsa Mosque complex, which is commonly called the Temple Mount.

There have been entrance restrictions imposed at the mosque since early Tuesday morning, according to Israeli officials. Initially, according to the state news agency, the authorities allowed the elderly to enter the mosque before barring all Muslim worshippers from doing so.

As a result of the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, the unexpected, but not unprecedented move comes at a time when regional tensions are on the rise as a result of the ongoing conflict.

Flashpoints that occur frequently

Israelis and Palestinians are always engaged in conflict over the Al-Aqsa compound, which is revered as Temple Mount and is regarded as one of the holiest places in Islam and Judaism.

It has been reported that hundreds of Israelis broke into the Al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem earlier this month as part of a celebration of the fifth day of Sukkot, a seven-day Jewish holiday, according to several sources citing the Islamic Waqf Department.

In recent years, several Arab nations, notably Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have issued statements condemning the violence committed by extremist Israelis at the Al-Aqsa holy site, where these extremists frequently engage in conflict with Palestinians while being protected by Israeli security forces.