Israel Restricts Access To Aqsa Mosque Amid Tension

Israeli police imposed fresh restrictions on access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Friday, amid tension in the holy city following the shooting of a far-right Jewish rabbi.



"Only male worshippers aged 50 and above and women of all ages were allowed into the holy site," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Anadolu Agency by phone.



Police said that the age limit is part of security measures to prevent disturbance on the site.



Israeli police were seen deployed in Jerusalem's Old City and at the Aqsa Mosque gates since early morning.



Tension mounted in East Jerusalem since Wednesday, when Israeli police killed a Palestinian man for allegedly shooting extremist Jewish rabbi Yehuda Glick in Jerusalem.



Israel closed the holy site shortly after Glick was seriously injured in the drive-by shooting, triggering clashes with Palestinian protesters in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.



The Palestinian Authority, for its part, described Israel's closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a "declaration of war" against the Palestinian people.



Israeli police announced that the holy site will reopen following a day of violence, which left more than 20 Palestinians injured.



Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state – a move never recognized by the international community.



By Turgut Alp Boyraz



englishnews@aa.com.tr



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