Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque to reopen after Muslim holiday

The Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, will reopen next week after the conclusion of a major holiday, following weeks of closure aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said Tuesday.

The Islamic endowment overseeing the site under Jordanian custodianship had taken the unprecedented step of closing it to worshippers in March as other major holy sites were shuttered across the Middle East.

The endowment said that in light of the relative decline of the spread of the virus it would reopen the site to worshippers after the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which will begin this weekend and last for three days.

A mechanism and procedures regarding lifting the suspension will be announced later, it added.

The raised esplanade is home to the Al-Aqsa mosque and the iconic golden Dome of the Rock. It is also the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the location of the first and second Jewish temples in antiquity.

The site has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and perceived encroachments by Israeli authorities and hard-line Jewish groups have ignited clashes on a number of occasions. Israel says it has no intention of changing the status quo at the site.

The site is in east Jerusalem, which Israeli seized in the 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognized internationally. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority imposed sweeping lockdowns in mid-March aimed at containing the virus, limiting travel and public gatherings, and forcing nonessential businesses to close.

Many of the restrictions have been lifted in recent weeks as the rate of new infections has declined.

Israel has reported more than 16,600 cases and around 270 deaths, with more than 13,000 of the patients having recovered. The Palestinian Authority has reported around 390 cases and two fatalities, with around 340 people having recovered.

The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, who recover within a few weeks. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death, particularly in older patients or those with underlying conditions.