Al-Aqsa Mosque to reopen on Sunday

Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, the director of Al-Aqsa, announced that the mosque would reopen to worshipers beginning on Sunday morning, according to reports in Palestinian media.

The Islamic Waqf, which administers the Al-Aqsa compound, closed the mosque and the Dome of the Rock on March 15 in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. One week later, it banned gatherings on the compound.

Some Palestinian activists on social media are circulating calls for the mosque to open in time for the Friday prayer using the hashtag “Friday We Open al-Aqsa.” They note that other religious sites — the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall — have already reopened for worship.

— Aaron Boxerman