Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem reopens after two months

JERUSALEM: The Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem — the third holiest site in Islam after Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia — reopened on Sunday after being closed for more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dozens of worshippers in protective masks were let into the compound before the first prayers of the day. They were chanting “God is greatest, we will protect Al-Aqsa with our soul and blood”.

The group gathered in front of the large wooden doors and were welcomed by mosque director Omar al-Kiswani, who thanked them for their patience.

It followed a fraught day in occupied east Jerusalem, where the compound is located. Israeli police on Saturday shot dead a disabled Palestinian they mistakenly thought was armed, prompting furious condemnation from the Palestinians.

The religious site, which houses Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, had closed its doors in March as part of measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. The site has often been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On the first day of the Eid holiday, scuffles had broken out between Israeli police and Palestinians as worshippers tried to break through barriers to enter the compound.

With the number of COVID-19 cases declining, in recent days both Israel and the Palestinian territories have eased restrictions. Israel has reported more than 17,000 cases including 284 deaths.

There are fewer than 500 infections and just three deaths confirmed in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, which have a combined population of around five million.