Israel to allow Gaza’s elderly to pray at Al-Aqsa

By Anees Bargouthi

JERUSALEM

Israeli authorities decided to resume issuing permits for elderly Gazans who wish to travel to Jerusalem for Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian officials said Wednesday.

In March, Israel had decided to stop issuing permits for Gazans to pray at Al-Aqsa.

“Around 200 people over 60 will be heading to Jerusalem this Friday,” Mohammed Makadmeh, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs, told Anadolu Agency.

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

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