Israel will limit the number of Muslim worshipers who want to attend prayers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, Israel's police minister said on Tuesday, citing concerns that the site could draw protesters protesting the war in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Aqsa, one of the holiest Islamic shrines, is part of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and is the center of hope for Palestinian statehood, Reuters reminds.
Jews also revere this site as a remnant of their two ancient temples.
Access rules have been a source of contention before, especially during Ramadan, which this year begins on March 10.
Israel has imposed restrictions before, mostly on younger Palestinians from Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
More than four months since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, concerns about the outbreak of new unrest are growing.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected his intention to ban most Muslim citizens from praying during Ramadan.
However, he said a limit of between 40.000 and 50.000 visitors would be imposed, following a discussion in which officials had asked for the shrine to accommodate between 120.000 and 150.000 people.
The move drew condemnation from Arab leaders, including opposition lawmaker Ahmad Tibi, who said the far-right Ben-Gvir was "an arsonist, but who has someone above him who is responsible and who gives him a bucket of petrol".
Ben-Gvir expressed disappointment that Netanyahu did not accept his proposal to authorize police to enter the Al-Aqsa compound and remove any flags or signs erected in support of Hamas, a militant organization designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. is Israel fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Citing the plight of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Ben-Gvir said it would be "devastating" to allow such a show of solidarity by Hamas in a city that Israel considers its capital, a status not widely recognized by the international community.
Israel has restricted Palestinian access to the shrine since Hamas launched a war in Gaza with killings and kidnappings on October 7 last year.
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