Israeli Court Orders Closure of Aqsa Gate

Jerusalem, MINA – The Authority Responsible for overseeing Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem said the Israeli Court on Monday (July 13) ordered the closure of Bab Al-Rahma, east gate of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The reasons behind the closing of the gate by the Israeli court are still unclear.

In a statement, the Jordan-run Islamic Endowment Authority said it had received a letter from the Israeli Police Directorate informing them of the court’s decision to close the gate, Anadolu Agency reported.

“Al-Aqsa is superior to submit to any court or political decision by Israeli authorities,” the statement said.

“Muslims do not support or recognize this illegal decision by the [Israeli] occupation, and therefore do not obey it,” they said, adding that Bab al-Rahma was an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in the world. The Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the “Temple Mount”, claiming it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, in which the the Al-Aqsa located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. They annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move that was never recognized by the international community. (T/R7/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)