JERUSALEM – Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem was reopened today after being closed for more than two months due to coronavirus pandemic.
Dozens of worshippers in protective masks were let into the compound for Fajr prayers this morning.
The group gathered in front of the mosque and chanted slogans of “Allaho-Akbar”, “we will protect Al-Aqsa with our soul and blood”.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims, was closed off to all worshippers late March amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Palestinian territories.
Palestinian authorities have recorded more than 600 virus cases, including five deaths.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
