Israel closes Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, keeps it open for Jews as Gaza bleeds

Israeli police have shut down the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's old city and are barring Muslim worshippers from entering, as per a report by the Palestinian State News Agency (WAFA) on Tuesday, confirmed by the Islamic Waqf department.

According to WAFA reports, police officers abruptly closed all gates leading to the walled compound, preventing Muslims from entering while allowing Jewish worshippers to offer their prayers, violating the mosque's established order. 

This was further confirmed by Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-appointed Islamic organisation in charge of the complex.

Non-Muslims are permitted to enter the compound by a long-standing status quo agreement, but only Muslims are allowed to worship there. Despite that setup, there are occasionally Jewish tourists who worship there.

Jews are not allowed to enter any area of the Al Aqsa Mosque complex, commonly known as the Temple Mount, due to the site's hallowed status, according to Jewish law.

Since early Tuesday morning, Israeli officials have imposed entry restrictions at the mosque. Before barring all Muslim worshippers from entering, they first permitted the elderly to do so, according to the state news agency.

The unexpected but not unprecedented action comes as regional tensions are rising as a result of the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Frequent flashpoint

The Al-Aqsa compound, which is revered as Temple Mount and is the third holiest place in Islam and Judaism, is a regular source of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

According to numerous accounts quoting the Islamic Waqf Department, hundreds of Israelis broke into the Al-Aqsa mosque complex earlier this month to observe the fifth day of Sukkot, a seven-day Jewish holiday.

Arab nations, notably Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, and the GCC, frequently issue comments condemning violence committed by Israeli extremists at the Al-Aqsa holy site, where they frequently engage in conflict with Palestinians while being protected by Israeli police.