Israel Says it's Still Reviewing Access to Al Aqsa During Ramadan

A Muslim woman uses her phone to take a picture of the Dome of the Rock shrine, at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A Muslim woman uses her phone to take a picture of the Dome of the Rock shrine, at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Israel Says it's Still Reviewing Access to Al Aqsa During Ramadan

A Muslim woman uses her phone to take a picture of the Dome of the Rock shrine, at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A Muslim woman uses her phone to take a picture of the Dome of the Rock shrine, at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israel is reviewing possible curbs on access to Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem over the upcoming Ramadan fasting month, a government spokesperson said after media reports that the far-right minister for police might be overruled on the issue.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said last week there would be a quota for members of Israel's 18% Muslim minority who wish to take part in peace prayers at Al Aqsa.

That would compound the clampdown Israel has already placed on Palestinians since the Hamas' cross-border rampage from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, codenamed "Al Aqsa Flood", which triggered the ongoing Gaza war.

But Israel's top-rated Channel 12 TV reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would overrule Ben-Gvir.

"The specific issue of prayer on the Temple Mount, in Al Aqsa, is currently still under discussion by the cabinet," government spokesperson Avi Hyman said in a briefing on Thursday.

He added that a final decision would take security and public health, as well as the freedom of worship, into account.

A Ben-Gvir spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Ben-Gvir posted on X that any attempt to override his authority would amount to a "capitulation to terror", and urged Netanyahu to deny the Channel 12 report.



Trump Cites Progress on Gaza Hostage Talks

Trump Cites Progress on Gaza Hostage Talks
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Trump Cites Progress on Gaza Hostage Talks

Trump Cites Progress on Gaza Hostage Talks

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said progress was being made regarding the return of the hostages being held in Gaza and that he was dealing with both Israel and Hamas, but he gave no other details about the talks.

Israel resumed its war against Hamas in Gaza last month after an eight-week ceasefire collapsed. The ceasefire brought a much-needed reprieve from the fighting to war-weary Palestinians in Gaza and sent an infusion of humanitarian aid to the territory. It also led to the release of 25 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the return of the remains of eight others, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Mediators have since attempted to bring the sides to a bridging agreement that would again pause the war, free hostages and open the door for talks on the war's end, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he won't agree to until Hamas is defeated. Hamas wants the war to end before it frees the remaining 59 hostages it holds, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
The war, which was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, has seen the deadliest fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in their history. It has ignited a humanitarian crisis in already impoverished Gaza, and has sent shockwaves across the region and beyond.