Reopening of Al-Aqsa Mosque Following Deadly Shootings

Israel announced that two of the eight gates leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which had been temporarily closed following deadly shootings, would be reopened to Muslim worshippers two days after the incident. According to Israeli media, the gradual reopening of Al-Aqsa is ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gilad Erdan, the country's Minister of Public Security, stated on Sunday, July 16, that, in coordination with police and security forces, worshippers would be allowed to enter Al-Aqsa starting at 2 PM local time (3:30 PM Iran time). Meanwhile, strict security measures remain in place, with hundreds of police and border security personnel deployed in the neighborhoods surrounding Al-Aqsa, monitoring the movement of locals and potential tourists. According to the Minister of Public Security, the installation of new surveillance cameras and additional security equipment, including metal detectors, is planned to better control the situation. On the morning of Friday, July 14, a shooting near the main entrance of the Al-Aqsa Mosque resulted in the deaths of two Israeli security personnel and injuries to another. Following this surprise shooting, Israeli forces pursued the armed attackers into the Al-Aqsa compound and killed three assailants. The two Israeli security members who were killed were Druze Arabs, part of the Druze community in Israel who serve in the Israeli army and border security forces. The three attackers were not Palestinians from East Jerusalem or the Palestinian territories but rather Arab citizens from the town of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel; unlike Palestinians, Arab citizens of Israel enjoy freedom of movement throughout Israel. Although no organization claimed responsibility for the Friday attack, Hamas and other groups known as the 'Resistance' praised the act. Hamas and Islamic Jihad described the attackers' ability to bring weapons into Al-Aqsa using their Israeli citizenship as a 'zero-distance confrontation with the Zionist regime' and commended the 'heroic courage' of the attackers. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, condemned the attack in a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu hours after the incident. The temporary closure of Al-Aqsa drew severe criticism among Palestinians. The Grand Mufti of Al-Aqsa attempted to enter the Noble Sanctuary on Friday but was blocked by Israeli security forces, who also canceled Friday prayers altogether. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation criticized Israel for the temporary closure of Al-Aqsa in a statement on Saturday, July 15. Turkey, Iran, and several other Islamic countries also issued statements condemning Israel. Additionally, according to Israeli media, King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose country oversees Al-Aqsa, spoke with Netanyahu twice in recent days, calling for measures to prevent the situation from worsening. King Abdullah requested the swift reopening of Al-Aqsa, stating that no party has the right to disrupt the stability and security of this important Islamic site. The Noble Sanctuary, considered the third holiest mosque for Muslims, has been at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Israel took control of East Jerusalem fifty years ago. However, a complete closure of Al-Aqsa has not occurred in any of the crises over the past half-century. Since late September 2015, Palestinians have claimed to defend Al-Aqsa and the Al-Quds Intifada through knife attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians.