The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest mosque in Islam, remains closed to Muslim worshipers for Jumma prayers, Israeli officials announced, reports Anadolu Agency. This is the third weekend in a row that the site has been closed since the end of February under emergency measures related to the war with Iran.
Israeli authorities closed the mosque after the start of the war, citing directives banning large gatherings.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the most important holy places of Christianity, was also closed.
Witnesses told Anadolu that police prevented Palestinians from praying in the streets near the Old City walls, including Salahuddin Street.
In Jerusalem, there were calls for worshipers to pray as close as possible to Al-Aqsa due to its continued closure, but Palestinians instead prayed in smaller mosques across the city.
Israel closed Al-Aqsa after the start of the war with Iran on February 28, citing security reasons, while Iran carried out retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and what it describes as US interests in the region.
(Vijesti.ba)
