With Jerusalem’s holy sites closed, Muslim worshippers pray on streets outside Old City

“Why are people being kept away from praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque?” asked Jerusalem resident Haitham Al-Zaghal. “That is freedom of worship; people should be allowed to pray.”

The Old City contains an area Jews call the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism and home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call it the Noble Sanctuary and today it is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.

Holy sites have been closed to worshippers of all faiths throughout the war.

Israeli police have deployed extra forces and the country’s Home Front Command has cited wartime safety concerns as a reason for restrictions, though Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem has little shelter infrastructure.

Before the war, Israel tightened limits on Muslims seeking to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Tens of thousands prayed there during the first Fridays of Ramadan this year, with Israel allowing less than 10,000 permits for Palestinians to enter from the occupied West Bank.

Jerusalem-based nonprofit Ir Amim questioned why the restrictions have remained in place as other synagogues and mosques have remained open, saying they “cannot be separated from the long-standing Israeli policy aimed at reducing Palestinian presence” at the holy site.  — AP