As Ramadan begins, uncertainty and anxiety surround the Al-Aqsa mosque
Questions remain about access to the main Islamic congregational mosque in the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City as Palestinians see the site as essential to their identity.
JERUSALEM – The Muslim holy month of Ramadan arrived Monday with no news of a cease-fire in Gaza, raising further concerns about tensions spreading to Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa mosque sits at the very center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On Sunday, Israeli police denied entry to many Palestinian men for the first night of Ramadan prayers. At one gate, police charged at the crowd back and hit people with batons.
Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israel has restricted Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa. Men and teenage boys under the age of 45, and Palestinians living in the occupied
