Ramallah The Palestinian Presidency on Sunday condemned an Israeli court ruling on Bab al-Rahma prayer area inside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, stressing the ruling is null and illegal.
The presidency said in a statement that the ruling is a continuation of the Israeli escalation against Jerusalem and its holy places.
“The Israeli decision is null and illegal; it is contrary to all international resolutions which stated that East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque/the Noble Sanctuary, is part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 and is not subject to the authority of the Israeli judiciary,” it said.
The presidency also held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for any repercussions from this dangerous decision and from any change to the existing historical and legal status at Al-Aqsa Mosque, of which Bab al-Rahma is considered an integral part.
An Israeli court ruled on Sunday to close Bab al-Rahma for Muslim worshipers and gave the Islamic Waqf department, which is in charge of the Mosque, 60 days to appeal the decision.
The Waqf and the Government of Jordan, the custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, have rejected the court’s ruling and said the Israeli courts have no jurisdiction over Al-Aqsa Mosque, which a purely Islamic property.
Source: International Islamic News Agency