PM’s workplace says Israel will impose some restrictions on entry to Old City web site throughout Islamic holy month.
Israel will impose some restrictions on entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque within the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in response to “security needs”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace says.
The Al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest web site on the earth for Muslims, sits atop a hill within the Old City. The web site can also be revered by Jews, who confer with it because the Temple Mount.
Restrictions on entry to the location have lengthy induced friction, significantly round spiritual holidays comparable to Ramadan, which can start about March 10 this yr.
Asked about the opportunity of blocking entry for some worshippers throughout the holy month, Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned on Monday: “The prime minister made a balanced decision within the security needs determined by professionals.”
His workplace gave no additional particulars.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip, denounced the deliberate restrictions and urged Palestinians to mobilise in opposition to them.
It described the restrictions as “a continuation of Zionist criminality and religious warfare led by the extremist settlers group in the terrorist occupation government against our Palestinian people”.
The group known as on Palestinians in Israel, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank to “reject this criminal decision, resist the occupation’s arrogance and insolence, and mobilise to stand firm and steadfast in Al-Aqsa Mosque”.
Israel usually units guidelines to restrict the variety of worshippers on the web site, citing safety causes.
Israeli forces have beforehand undertaken violent raids on the web site throughout Ramadan.
The announcement comes as Israel warns that it’s going to proceed its assault on Gaza throughout Ramadan, together with within the densely populated Rafah space within the south.
“The world must know and Hamas leaders must know: If by Ramadan the hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere to include the Rafah area,” warfare cupboard member Benny Gantz mentioned on Sunday.
“We will do so in a coordinated manner, facilitating the evacuation of civilians in dialogue with American and Egyptian partners and to minimise the civilian casualties as much as possible.”
“Hamas has a choice. They can surrender, release the hostages and the civilians of Gaza can celebrate the feast of Ramadan,” he mentioned.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas led assaults on Israel, killing not less than 1,139 folks, in response to an Al Jazeera rely based mostly on official figures. It additionally took about 250 different folks captive.
Israel’s bombardment and floor invasion of Gaza has killed greater than 29,000 folks, in response to Palestinian authorities. It has additionally decreased a lot of Gaza to rubble and displaced greater than 80 p.c of its inhabitants, in response to help teams.
Negotiations over a possible truce and hostage-for-prisoner trade have appeared to stall in current weeks with Netanyahu publicly describing calls for by Hamas as “delusional”.
The United States, Israel’s high ally, has mentioned it nonetheless hopes to dealer a pause in hostilities however signalled it might veto a draft United Nations decision calling for a ceasefire and argued in opposition to measures that might jeopardise “the opportunity for an enduring resolution of hostilities”.
There is rising worldwide stress on Israel to halt the warfare within the enclave, particularly as UN businesses warn of catastrophic injury and casualties if Israeli forces press on in direction of Rafah. Still, Netanyahu has insisted on his warfare targets of “destroying” Hamas.
On Sunday, the Israeli chief promised “total victory” over Hamas regardless of rising anger from determined kin of the remaining captives and rising antigovernment protests.
Israel says it believes about 130 captives stay in Gaza, together with 30 presumed useless.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/israel-to-restrict-access-to-jerusalems-al-aqsa-mosque-during-ramadan?traffic_source=rss
