On the eve of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City bears few of its usual hallmarks of festivity.
File - Muslim women walk through a market, ahead of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Restrictions put in place amid the Israel-Hamas war have left many Palestinians concerned they might not be able to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is revered by Muslims. –
The militants have urged Palestinians across Israel and the occupied West Bank to stream to the mosque during Ramadan to challenge anticipated Israeli restrictions on worship and movement., it's not clear if Palestinians will risk confrontations in the current climate in which Israeli forces are clamping down hard on any perceived threats.
In the past, Israeli forces raiding the sacred compound have clashed with stone-throwing Palestinians who barricaded themselves inside, at times to protest Israeli access restrictions. Such clashes have triggered escalations, including Hamas rocket fire, which set off a brief Israel-Hamas war in 2021.
Most Old City shop owners declined to share their views about the coming Ramadan. Scores of Palestinians have been detained by Israel over social media posts about the war in Gaza since it started. Under an informal arrangement since 1967, the compound is administered by a Jordanian-based Muslim religious body known as the Waqf. Jews are allowed to visit the compound, but not to pray there. The agreement has broken down in recent years as large groups of Jews, including hard-line religious nationalists, have regularly visited. Some among them have attempted to pray at the site.
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