A senior imam of the Al Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem said that Israeli authorities have barred him from entering the compound, just days before the start of the holy month of Ramazan.
“I have been barred from the mosque for a week, and the order can be renewed,” Sheikh Muhammad al Abbasi told AFP.
He said he was not informed of the reason for the ban, which came into effect from Monday.
“I had only returned to Al Aqsa a month ago after spending a year in the hospital following a serious car accident,” Abbasi said.
“This ban is a grave matter for us, as our soul is tied to Al Aqsa. Al Aqsa is our life.”
The month of Ramazan, during which Muslims observe a fast from dawn to dusk, is expected to begin this week.
During the holy month, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed.
On Monday, Israeli police said they had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
Police did not specify whether age restrictions would apply.
