Jerusalem’s Temple Mount compound remains open to mass Muslim prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite the coronavirus outbreak, as a result of Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank, Channel 12 reports.
During the first outbreak, the holy compound was closed for several months amid coordination between Israel and Jordan, which jointly manage the compound.
But Jordan has refused to coordinate this time around, amid anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intention to extend Israeli sovereignty over settlements and the Jordan Valley with US approval, the report says.
As a result, no change has been made in the status of the Temple Mount and thousands of Muslims still pray there despite the renewed outbreaks in both Israel and the West Bank.
Muslim worshipers pray at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 31, 2020, after the site had been closed for over two months because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
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