Al-Aqsa Mosque to Close for Three Weeks over Covid-19 Outbreak

Jerusalem, MINA – The Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem on Wednesday announced that the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem would be closed for three weeks due to Covid-19 spread.

“Pilgrims and visitors will not be admitted to the mosque for a period of three weeks due to the virus outbreak,” Hatem Abdel Qader, Member of Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, told Anadolu Agency.

He said the Mosque would only be open to call to prayer officers, mosque guards and staff.

According to Palestinian health authorities, the number of Covid-19 cases in Jerusalem has stood at 8,000 since June.

Previously Al-Aqsa Mosque was also closed for two months at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in the world for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in an act that was never recognized by the international community. (T/R7/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)