Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Palestinians prepare for Ramadan amid heightened security measures
Palestinians are preparing for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid heightened security measures by Israeli police and the spectre of war.
Thousands of police have been deployed around the narrow streets of the Old City in Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of worshippers are expected every day at the Al Aqsa mosque compound, one of the holiest sites in Islam.
The area is also considered the most sacred place by Jews who know it as Temple Mount.
After some confusion last month when Israel’s security minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he wanted restrictions on worshippers at Al Aqsa, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the numbers admitted would be similar to last year.
READ MORE:
“This is our mosque and we must take care of it,” Azzam Al Khatib, who is director general of the Jerusalem Waqf, the religious foundation that oversees Al Aqsa, said.
“We must protect the presence of Muslims at this mosque, who should be able to enter in big numbers peacefully and safely.”
The start of Ramadan depends on lunar observations – for Palestinians it will begin on Monday.
