Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Apr 28: Israeli authorities have barred two prominent Palestinian clerics from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for one week, according to reports.

Sheikh Raed Salah and Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib said they were summoned for questioning and subsequently handed the ban orders.

“We received an order preventing us from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Salah told reporters, asserting that the site is an Islamic right. He described the move as “invalid” and “unjust,” calling it an act of religious persecution and an assault on their faith. He also maintained that the Islamic Waqf holds sole authority over the mosque.

Khatib said the restriction could be extended beyond the initial period. “It is clear that the ban may be extended to six months,” he stated, adding that Muslims alone have rights over the mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site in Islam, while Jews refer to the area as Temple Mount, believing it to be the historic location of ancient Jewish temples.

Israeli authorities have issued numerous such bans this year against clerics and worshippers in East Jerusalem and within Israel, typically starting with short durations that may later be extended.

Salah, a former head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, had previously been barred from entering the mosque for 15 years, a restriction that ended in 2022. Khatib had served as deputy leader of the group before it was banned by Israel in 2015 over allegations of incitement.