Key site is al-Aqsa mosque on what Jews call the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Peaceful access for Muslims could send a message of calm
Israelis and Palestinians are bracing themselves for a tense and potentially violent week, with no sign of a ceasefire likely in Gaza and calls from Hamas for protest marches around the Islamic world to mark the start of
“We call our people to march on Jerusalem … to pray in the mosque … and to stop the occupation achieving its aims of controlling and dividing. Al-Aqsa mosque belongs to us.” Last week, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told military cadets that Israel would press ahead with a threatened ground offensive on Rafah, the last place of relative safety in Gaza, possibly during Ramadan. Even staunch allies of Israel have warned that such an attack will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and could serve as a trigger for escalating violence.
The most likely immediate spark for protests, and possibly violence, would be the imposition of severe restrictions on prayers at al-Haram al-Sharif, observers say. But equally, the sight of crowds of Muslims praying unhindered would help ease tensions after months of conflict.
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