'Israel' to allow access to al-Aqsa in Ramadan 'as in previous years'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Mar 2024 03:16
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Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had said that Palestinian residents of the West Bank "should not be allowed" entry to the Mosque to pray during Ramadan.

Palestinian women walk near the Dome of the Rock Mosque at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of al-Quds, on Thursday, February 29, 2024. (AP Photo)

Fearing a ticking bomb in the occupied West Bank and yielding to calls from US administration, Israeli occupation authorities announced Tuesday they will allow as many worshippers to access the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds during the first week of the holy month of Ramadan as in previous years.

"Every week there will be a situation assessment in terms of security and safety and a decision will be made accordingly," Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office mentioned in a statement.

Despite Israeli police and several ministers warning that the measure would incite an explosion in the situation, Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had said that Palestinian residents of the West Bank "should not be allowed" entry to al-Quds to pray during Ramadan.

But days later, the United States urged "Israel" to allow worshippers to access the holy al-Aqsa Mosque compound in al-Quds during the Muslim month.

"As it pertains to Al-Aqsa, we continue to urge Israel to facilitate access to Temple Mount for peaceful worshippers during Ramadan consistent with past practice," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, using the Jewish term for the site.

"That's not just the right thing to do, it's not just a matter of granting people religious freedom that they deserve and to which they have a right, but it's also a matter that directly is important to Israel's security," he said.

Miller stressed that "it is not in Israel's security interest to inflame tensions in the West Bank or in the broader region."

On the same day, the head of Hamas' Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, had called for a mass movement on al-Aqsa for the start of Ramadan.

"We call on our people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the occupied interior (Israel) to travel to Al-Aqsa from the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan, in groups or alone, to pray there to break the siege on it," Haniyeh said in a televised statement.